When my brother was about two years old, he asked for a little sister. Nine months later, he got one. I could not thank my brother enough for all of the things he has taught me throughout life. There have been good and bad times in my life, and each time he has always been there; from breakups to watching me in every volleyball game he could attend.

When it came to guys in general, he always warned me about how guys are. Funny, I know because he is one himself. He always told me don't fall too hard for them because you will get your heart broken. Well, sophomore year of high school came around, and I fell for a guy who later in life broke my heart. Throughout the breakup process, he was always there to talk to. Even with me being two hours away from home, he was and still is a phone call away.

Having an older brother means having a personal body guard; at least for me. When my freshman year came around, he was on the varsity football team and I was on the junior high volleyball team. He told his teammates that they weren't allowed to date me. And trust me, he meant it. If he found out one of them was talking to me, he would say something. Although that was very frustrating at times, he knew that he was protecting me, even though I didn't know why he was doing it at the time, he did.

I am forever thankful to have an older brother who understands everything I go through. He is probably the only person that can boss me around and me not stay mad at him for a long period of time. He is probably the only person I listen to when it comes to guys or dating advice in general. He has taught me to always stay true to myself even if people judge me for who I am.

There have been hard times that we both have been through together and it has only brought us closer. Every time my mom calls him and tells him I'm sick or when I get in a wreck, he shows up in person just to make sure I am OK. No matter what we go through, we will always be siblings. No matter how bad someone talks about one of us to each other, we will always have each other's back.

Having an older brother or sibling for that matter has had a huge impact on my life. I will always cherish every moment I have with him because I never know if something will happen to him. I am forever thankful for all of the life lessons he has taught me from teaching me how to shoot a gun to giving me advice on boys. So, here's to you Bubba, thank you for all that you have done for me. I know I am hard to handle sometimes, but I am thankful for you always!