Day 100: Siblings

So apparently, April 10th is National Sibling Day.  I haven't checked yet, but I'm guessing my Facebook feed is filled with pictures of everyone's brothers, sisters, half-siblings, and step-siblings. Here is my contribution to the day:

I am grateful for my three older brothers: John, Michael, and Matthew; and here's why...

John is my oldest brother, at 12 years my senior. John never let people forget about me even though I was his “baby sister."  I was his second biggest fan at all of his baseball games (my Mom of course was his first), and his side-kick at Color Day his senior year.  When I won a contest in elementary school and had to choose someone to come with me to celebrate at lunch time I was so proud to have my big brother with me.

He would sneak me out of punishments, and let me fall asleep in bed with him when I had bad dreams.  As adults we share a passion for reading and writing; he probably spent hours editing my high school English papers.  He called me a few nights before Mike's wedding to read his 6-page long best man speech (some parts of it were read twice).  He valued my opinion.  When we get together now the topic of books always come up.  I still haven't read A People's History of the United States, and I'm sure he'll remind me the next time I ask him for a recommendation. 


Michael is my second oldest brother – a decade older than me.  He can make me cry when I laugh and I love him for that.  Mike is the heart and soul of our family, whether he believes it to be true or not.  He can listen and give advice without ever making you feel that you should have known

better.  Mike was the one who spent Monday nights watching Seventh Heaven with me.  I learned the words to Blur's Song 2 in his huge white truck driving down Main Street in Saugus. He reassured me that getting a C+ in Math was not the worst grade any of us kids had brought home to Mom and Dad on a report card.  Michael was always the one I called to talk to when I wasn't feel good.  He could cheer me up even when he was miles away.  When he found out my first boyfriend had broken up with me, he came from work with a copy of Dating for Dummys.  He always had a way to make a bad situation not so bleak. Mike works for the Federal Government now, and I just recently learned what his actual job title is; not that that really cleared up what he actually does for a living.  He works so hard every day to make sure we are all living a safer life, and I am so proud of him. 

Matthew had been the baby of the family before I was born.  He had 8 years to relish in the youngest child spot.  Matt likes to remind me that my childhood bedroom should have been, and would have been, his playroom.  When I was a kid we did not get along – our personalities too similar and our tempers too short.  We did have our moments though; he

taught me to ski on the "big hill" behind the church, and he created an imaginary town in our back yard for me and my friends to play in.  He took me to get my learner's permit and tried teaching me to drive his truck. Matt is one of the hardest working people I know.  I hardly remember a time growing up that he wasn’t working – and this work ethic has continued into adulthood.  In the past 5 years our relationship has become something I really appreciate.  We’ve, for the most part, figured out how to put our personality conflicts aside, and he has helped me get through one of the toughest times in my life.  People used to tell me that even though we couldn’t stand each other as children, one day we would become friends.  I’m glad that has proven true.  

My brothers are a huge part of my life.  I am who I am, in part, because of their influence on me growing up.  They have always shown me unconditional love, and I am grateful that through the years our relationships have evolved and remain strong.  They are three of my favorite people, three of my best friends, and the three best big brothers a girl could ask for.