My younger brother is probably my worst nightmare come true. He troubles me endlessly and angers me like no one else. Despite all that, he is the Ying to my Yang, and possibly the best friend I could have ever asked for.
Born just a few years after I was, my earliest memories of him are causing the trolley he was sitting in to topple over and my parents fussing over the injuries he didn't have. I was always the apple of everyone's eyes, being the first daughter born into the family; but my brother stole the limelight as a baby. I must say, I don't recall being too fond of him, but early photos suggest that I loved him dearly. There are pictures of me holding him in that baby blanket of his and us sharing toys. Sometimes I think my parents staged those pictures, but at other times I think perhaps I truly did love my brother even then. We were barely in the same circles growing up. My brother had his set of friends and I had mine. My best friend adored him and she still does. His friends look up to me occasionally.
As we grew up, we realized we had to have each others' back. We shared secrets, told each other about almost everything that happened. A transparency formed between us and I started understanding my brother better. He was no longer the little brat of the family, but a boy on the cusp of adulthood trying to deal with a lot of things. I was trying to figure out how to help him best and possibly get my own life together. We helped each other grow back together and that strengthened our bond.
Despite our love for each other, there always was a sense of sibling rivalry, which I believe is essential in every relationship. The need to outdo the other in different fields is what has kept me and my brother from falling into total madness. The counterweight to the love we have for each other is the amount we fight and argue with each other. To an outsider, our fights might seem too serious and proof of how much we hate each other, but we reconcile almost immediately. Eventually, we've both found our niche, things we are good at that the other isn't. He can cook, whilst I can write. He can sing, whilst I can dance.
We may be different people, but in the end we are siblings. No matter what arguments we have, or what disagreements we may have; we will always have each other and that's what counts.
Born just a few years after I was, my earliest memories of him are causing the trolley he was sitting in to topple over and my parents fussing over the injuries he didn't have. I was always the apple of everyone's eyes, being the first daughter born into the family; but my brother stole the limelight as a baby. I must say, I don't recall being too fond of him, but early photos suggest that I loved him dearly. There are pictures of me holding him in that baby blanket of his and us sharing toys. Sometimes I think my parents staged those pictures, but at other times I think perhaps I truly did love my brother even then. We were barely in the same circles growing up. My brother had his set of friends and I had mine. My best friend adored him and she still does. His friends look up to me occasionally.
As we grew up, we realized we had to have each others' back. We shared secrets, told each other about almost everything that happened. A transparency formed between us and I started understanding my brother better. He was no longer the little brat of the family, but a boy on the cusp of adulthood trying to deal with a lot of things. I was trying to figure out how to help him best and possibly get my own life together. We helped each other grow back together and that strengthened our bond.
Despite our love for each other, there always was a sense of sibling rivalry, which I believe is essential in every relationship. The need to outdo the other in different fields is what has kept me and my brother from falling into total madness. The counterweight to the love we have for each other is the amount we fight and argue with each other. To an outsider, our fights might seem too serious and proof of how much we hate each other, but we reconcile almost immediately. Eventually, we've both found our niche, things we are good at that the other isn't. He can cook, whilst I can write. He can sing, whilst I can dance.
We may be different people, but in the end we are siblings. No matter what arguments we have, or what disagreements we may have; we will always have each other and that's what counts.
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