5 life lessons i've learned from my little brother

My baby bro turns the big 3-0 today! This post is dedicated to him on his big day.

Can I be honest? When my little brother was first born, I asked my mom if we could put him back. In all fairness, I was only five years old so I had no idea the joy that this new little person would bring to my life.

Fast forward some-amount-of-years-not-to-be-counted-because-it-makes-me-feel-old, and I couldn’t imagine life without him. It’s his birthday today, so I wanted to celebrate him and all of the great life lessons he’s taught me over the years in this little post.

Here are some of the important lessons my little brother’s taught me:

1. Be a good friend to everyone. My brother has always been a friend to everyone. He was the kid that if another kid was sitting alone, he’d wander over and befriend him/her. He’s always been that way. Even today he wouldn’t let someone feel alone if he was there. It says a lot about his heart and the kind of person he is. It’s a good reminder that it costs nothing to be a good person.

2. Show up for the people you love. One of my fondest memories of my brother is after a particularly hard breakup. I was in college and needed to come home to do a little healing. On the drive home, my brother called and asked if we could go to dinner—just the two of us. We ended up going to Outback Steakhouse (his favorite restaurant) and he did his best to make me feel better. He even paid the bill (though I'm sure mom and dad helped out :)). It was then and there that I knew my little brother was a super special person. He showed up for me even when I was away at college. He probably barely even remembers this moment and at the time was just looking forward to a steak dinner, but for me, it was exactly what I needed—a reminder that we show up for the people that we love.

3. Laugh—a lot. My little brother makes me laugh—a lot. Even when he doesn’t know he’s necessarily being funny he makes me laugh. Because we’re five years apart, I feel like I was always coming out of a life stage as he was entering one as kids. I vividly remember his pre-teen years when his favorite phrase was “You’re not the boss of me!” and it still makes me laugh. Now he makes me laugh intentionally because he really is funny, but even as kids he made me laugh a lot. And laughter is definitely life’s best medicine.

4. Relax a little bit. Because my brother and I are so close, he’s literally the only person that can tell me to relax (it’s my trigger word...even typing it makes me cringe). But the thing is he’s totally right. Life’s not meant to be so serious and sometimes, to quote the famous Taylor Swift, I need to calm down.

5. Little brothers are the greatest gift from God. Truly, you guys. My little brother is one of the best humans I know. I cannot imagine life without him. He brings so much joy to everyone he’s around (especially my mom, because he’s her favorite! I’m kidding, mom...that’s just the middle child in me coming out.)

I’m so grateful for my little brother, our friendship and the invaluable lessons he’s taught me about life. Happy birthday, Mikey!