Why I’m grateful my brother is my lifelong BFF

For those of you ladies out there who do not have any male siblings, I hate to break it to you, but you are seriously missing out! I have no sisters, just a younger brother, but I have never once wanted for anything else. My brother and I are only 18 months apart, so growing up it was almost like we were the same age. We were together constantly. In fact, when we were kids my mom knew that if we were misbehaving, telling us we had to play apart for a while was the worst punishment she could possibly impose. Not that it mattered. We would sneak out of our rooms to play together anyway. We were partners in crime through everything.

That partnership has now evolved into a friendship, and it’s the best relationship in my life. My brother and I are each other’s best friends. It’s not corny or cheesy. It’s pretty much the best thing ever! Here’s why:

1. Putting Barbies in Tonka Trucks is pretty much the only way to play. Having just one boy and one girl in the house meant that when it came to playing, things were always more fun when we mixed up gendered toys. My Barbies rode around in his Tonka Trucks; my princess dress-up clothes were always being accessorized with superhero gear; and Legos built the best makeshift doll houses ever.
2. I always let my inner ‘tomboy’ flag fly high. Star Wars; sports; superhero and action movies; and video games are some of my favorite things. Now, not to say that girls can’t like any of these things independently, but with a brother around who inspired those loves in the first place, it’s easy for those likes to grow into obsessions. Which is totally awesome because all-night video game marathons are way more fun with a partner and I always have a buddy for any midnight showings for the next Avengers flick.
3. I truly have a friend for life. I’ve had a lot of friends come and go in my life, but my brother is still there. The feeling of always knowing that no matter what, my brother will be my friend is the biggest comfort I have. Even when the daily problems of our youth are replaced with questions about where to send our kids to school, we will still run everything by each other to see what the other one thinks. You know, just to be sure we’ve thought of everything.
4. He will always have my back, and I will always have his. Probably the best thing about the relationship I have with my brother is that I never have to question whether or not he will support me, and vice versa. I don’t even have to ask for it, it’s always just there. No judgements or lectures, just a genuine desire that the other has the best life they can have, and the belief that the other is capable of soing anything. He’s the one person in my life I get that from, and it’s beyond empowering.

Sure brothers can be gross and annoying at times, but I wouldn’t trade mine for the world. Siblings truly are one of life’s greatest gifts, and I am thankful every day for getting mine. I may have told my mom that she needed to “take him back to Target” the first time he came home, but by now, he better not be going anywhere.

(Image via)