In honor of us having just celebrated Siblings Day, I feel it necessary to voice my thoughts on how wonderful it was to grow up in a household with just my two brothers and myself. In this piece I do not mean to say that there is anything wrong with having a sister. I know with complete certainty that I would have loved a sister unconditionally if I had one. I do, however, want to point out the undeniable advantages that I had because I grew up with only brothers.

I’m not a girly-girl. It is completely alright to be one of those girls who focused on clothes, Barbies, and makeup, but that was simply not me. I was the girl who went out and threw a football with the boys. My brothers and I used to endlessly play basketball in our driveway and race each other on our bikes. We got in trouble many times for playing in the mud after we had been told specifically not to do so, and we were always going on adventures that stretched the boundaries of our parents’ patience. I am so incredibly grateful that this was my childhood. I can still be the kind of girl who likes to dress up real nice and put on some makeup, but I love the fact that I know how to be adventurous.

My brothers were good for more than teaching me how to be a bit of a rebel; they have also been my protectors. I have always known that if I have a problem with anything or anyone, my brothers will step up and make sure that I am alright and that everything is taken care of. Even when they get too protective over me and my relationships, I appreciate the fact that they care so much. This kind of love is not easily found, but I have always known that my brothers love me unconditionally and that they will be there for me whenever I need it.

I always had a different perspective to view things from. I’ve had a lot of deep conversations with my brothers. We talk about social and political issues. We talk about personal drama. We talk about all sorts of things, and I have always appreciated the different views that my brothers have had on these topics. No, we don’t always agree when we have these conversations, but being able to have a relationship with my brothers which allows us to constructively converse has always been something truly valuable to me.

I am very fortunate to have the family that I do. Not only are my mom and dad the best parents I could ask for, but my brothers have always been and will continue to be my greatest companions. I am forever grateful for the childhood that I had, and as my brothers and I go off to start our separate lives I know that we will continue to be there for one another. I would simply like to thank my brothers for being the wonderful people that they are and for helping to make me the person that I am today.