"Come on, stop crying. What are you, a baby or something?" I must have said that a hundred times to my younger brother when we were growing up. It was usually after I tackled him to the floor or got to watch my movie first. But we grew up in what seemed like the blink of an eye. Before I knew it, he was taller than me, and then he was driving and I didn't have to take him anywhere anymore. Instead of him crying and tagging after my friends, I was tagging along after his friends. And then there was the crying thing... college is like that. Once you start crying, it seems like you'll never stop. It must irritate him, but he's nicer than I was in his crying phase. He never tells me to stop. My superhero wears a baseball cap and boots. If you have a brother who lets you be a typical girl, you should thank him. Here's why:

1. He's seen it all, but he doesn't blab about it.

When you live with someone, you can only hide so much from them. In every home, every person pretty much knows every secret, whether or not they choose to acknowledge it out loud. If your brother is around to any extent, he knows about everything from your crushes to your bad hair days. But he doesn't even think about giving dirt on you to his friends. He's the ultimate secret keeper.

2. He teaches you new skills.

No girl wants to be embarrassed in front of the guys. It's natural to want to play as hard and to know as much as the boys. And if you have a thoughtful brother, he tries to prevent the embarrassment that comes from falling short from happening. He quizzes you on football statistics and makes you flick a Frisbee with two fingers instead of three.

3. He keeps you up to date with the best music.

Music is the way our generation shows emotion. Our favorite songs say more about how we feel than our words are ever able to tell others. When all else fails, it's great to have someone to just sit around and jam to "Freebird" with. He knows that when he's singing the words with you, he's helping you share exactly what's on your heart.

4. He loves you unconditionally

You fight, but you never let the day end without apologizing. You know that even though he may have called you a bad name or threatened to punch your lights out five minutes ago, he would give it to his friends down the road if they did the same. He might think that it's ridiculous that you spent two hours straightening your hair, but he's the first one to remind you to smooth down that stray hair before you leave the house. He may think you're being over-dramatic, but he never interrupts your drama rant. And above all else, he's the one person who will love you all the same when everything goes wrong.