In the year 1992, I learned I was no longer an only child. I had a little brother. And at first, I didn’t take the news too well… or so I’ve been told by different family members.
The story was that a few weeks after my brother arrived home from the hospital, I hit him with a baby bottle. Although I don’t recall doing such a thing, some of my family said it happened. I also learned that before I came into the picture, my mom and dad had already had a fur baby: a beautiful black lab that had a hard time when I was brought home too. My mom told me that their lab would only pull my baby clothes off my mom’s clothing line, which was probably an indication that their fur baby knew a new baby was in town. Clearly, we all had adjustments to make.
I was a big sister and eventually adjusted to my role accordingly.
My brother and I are a few years apart. We’re also two very different people in the way we view the world, carry ourselves, and handle certain situations, however, at the end of the day, we love and respect each other. And I believe we’ve both grown into great human beings. He’s taught me a lot and in honor of National Siblings Day, I thought it’d be cool to share five lessons I’ve learned from my sibling:
Chill Out. My brother has taught me to be calm. On different occasions, when I’ve overthought something or got too emotional about something that wasn’t as upsetting as I imagined, my brother reminded me to simply chill. I got upset at church one day about something someone said and when he saw me getting frustrated, he said, “Hey man, chill out.” And I did. Now I laugh because I was so upset over something so minor.
Laugh. My brother is also very funny. He’s definitely played too much sometimes but his funny moments have been a reminder to me to laugh and not take life or myself too seriously all the time. It’s okay to laugh. In fact, it’s good for you.
Choose A Guy Who Deserves You. In my early twenties, a guy I used to talk to broke my heart. I was really upset about how things went down. When my brother found out what happened, naturally he was upset and went into protective mode. As we talked, he reminded me of something I briefly lost sight of, choose someone who deserves you. I once lowered myself and my standards and needed to be reminded that there was nothing wrong with having high standards and not tolerating certain behavior or settling for less.
You’ll Figure It Out. My college journey could best be described by the title of some of Kanye West’s most brilliant albums, The College Dropout and perhaps Late Registration too. I started college later and finished much later than I planned to. Most of my journey, I felt insecure about it and my brother told me that all that mattered was that I was pursuing school and finishing it. He was right.
I Got You. My brother and I are different but no matter our differences or how we individually handle or cope with things, I know he’s got my back and I’ve got his. Part of being a good sibling is knowing how and when to show up for your siblings when they need you. And a different level of responsibility is expected when you’re the oldest. So, be a good sibling. Happy National Siblings Day.