I Believe in the Bond Between Brothers

I believe in the time that a little brother has with his big brother. During these moments, a relationship is formed that bonds them together forever.

My big brother has been an influential person in my life since my first seconds on earth. Upon my birth delivery, the bright lights of the hospital room bothered my eyes, and I began to cry. My father handed me to my big brother who took me into a dark room to see if I would stop crying. We spent a few minutes in the room together. When we came out, I was no longer crying. My brother had a smile displaying his accomplishment on his face, and we had an instant connection. Although he is many years older than I and lives a great distance away, my brother has been affectionate and caring towards me since my birth.

When my brother came home to visit a few years ago, I watched him open his suitcase and place his clothes into his drawers. These actions sparked one of my fondest memories with him.

As a twelve-year-old, athletic shorts and T-shirts were my apparel for everyday. My brother recognized this and began telling me about the advantages of dressing in a more stylish fashion. After my brother and I discussed my wardrobe, he told me, “You know what bruh bruh, let’s go to the mall right now! We are on a mission.” We made our way to the Aurora Mall. I remember at the beginning of our “mission” I was excited about being with Ali but not very enthusiastic about changing my established wardrobe. We went into the first store and my attitude quickly changed. After trying on the clothes that he suggested for me, I began to like them. He picked out some black jeans that had the name South Pole on them. I had no idea if this brand was popular, but I trusted my brother. We bought many articles of clothing, and after we purchased them, I knew that I would wear every piece regularly. My affinity towards the style of clothes was partly because they were new, but more importantly because I looked more like my big brother. To this day, my mall “mission” with Ali is my most cherished memory with him.

My big brother has been an extremely significant person to me. On numerous occasions, I have found myself patterning my actions to his. I have attempted to imitate the way he talks, and even the way he walks. Although Ali has influenced me in many ways, it has been the thought-provoking conversations with my brother that have had the greatest impact on my life. My talks with him have included school, politics, becoming a man, and the divorce of my parents. He has helped me navigate through all the difficult times and situations that I have encountered during my life. He has been more than just an older brother; he has been my second father.