Why having an older brother(s) is the best for a girl

For those of you out there living as an only child, you may not fully understand. The mere existence of a sibling, boy or girl, can have a profound influence on how we develop our character. Though not everyone has the strongest sibling-to-sibling relationship, at the end of the day it does affect who you become.

I was lucky enough to be blessed with two older brothers, one being 5 years older and one being just 2 years older than me. As a toddler it was a common struggle to feel completely "included" in my brothers' inner circle, but I continued to make myself present anyways. Amongst the plethora of secret codewords and hidden agendas, I observed brotherly mischief at its finest. After the annoying sister phase passed, it felt more like they were my older friends/mentors and I was the mentee. This is where the true blossoming begins. Therefore, here are the reasons (in no particular order of importance) why having older brothers are the best for a girl:

1. They are protective of you and would kick anyone's a** if necessary.

It doesn't matter who it is...if I ever had problems with someone (rare), both my brothers offered their defense - no questions asked. "Just tell me who and I'll take care of it" attitude.

2. You can seek unadulterated advice from them, no B.S.

They would rather save you the disappointment later from being told a nicer truth, and prepare you for the reality. If they have first-hand experience to draw from, it's even more valuable.

3. They reveal how to use logic over emotion in dire situations.

Without a doubt, everyone needs to focus on this skill. Sometimes you just need to put your personal emotions aside in order to make the best decision. I find this especially important when your well-being is at stake: "If someone or something is making you unhappy, STOP IT. Holding on will damage you more than letting go."

4. Their best friends become your friends, because they basically live at the house too.

It starts with polite greetings and tip-top behavior, and then eventually they're walking into your house and opening your refrigerator. "Make yourself at home"...but...like...don't you have your own home? At that point it didn't matter because so long as my parents liked them, they could stay.

5. You will NEVER share clothes!

This is a huge win for girls. Because all the sisters I know relatively close in age will almost always share clothes (or steal/borrow). So fear not, your True Religion jeans and special laced bra will not suspiciously disappear after laundry.

6. He will teach you how to stick up for yourself.

Whether it's wrestling you to the ground and farting on your face without warning (TMI?), playing pranks on each other, or poking holes in everything you say, it's all out of love. After the repetition over the years, you will learn how to "fight" back in confidence.

7. You can witness the main steps of life, in his shoes.

Preschool-Kindergarten-Elementary-Middle school-High school-College?

Not excluding: sports, puberty, dating for the first time, driver's license, etc...It's always nice to observe what milestones I may have to hurdle in the near future. It's like seeing a movie trailer, without actually understanding the whole movie.

8. He will encourage you to try new things, even if it's scary.

Now this can be taken many different ways...the "new things" I'm talking about are socially acceptable things such as: that big roller coaster ride, getting a job, jumping off the diving board, speaking out when something isn't right, being 100% honest, new activities/sports, or telling someone how you feel.

9. They show you that stupid drama can be avoided, quite easily.

This is something I am SO thankful for - it saved me from all the unnecessary gossip and emotional wrecking that many young women put themselves through. "Be honest with yourself, surround yourself with positive friends, and don't do something just because everyone else wants you to". Plain and simple - trust a person's ACTIONS, not their WORDS.

10. A true brother will never turn his back on you - because blood IS thicker than water.

Family can extend beyond blood, but nothing compares to growing up and living with a sibling(s) that loves you no matter what. It's not an obligation, it's human nature. There are hundreds of more reasons why I love my brothers to death, but I think you get the idea :)

Cherish the ones you have!