My Brother

Every family has people who influence the lives of other members of the family. Often the father’s or mother’s influence is the most important. However, in my family my brother has influenced me the most because I enjoy his company, I respect him, and I can rely on him for good advice.

Most people would enjoy knowing my brother. He has all of those qualities of a true friend. By a good friend I mean one that is understanding, but not too sympathetic. My brother will take up for me, but is not afraid to tell me when I am in the wrong, and he can both give and take kidding. Also, my brother is a good person to know because he enjoys having fun. For example, he is ready to go skiing, swimming, fishing, or hunting at a moment’s notice. He always has tickets for the ball games and concerts, and when I double date with him, he keeps everybody laughing at the things he says. He always seems
to know the right things to do and the right places to go. but in addition to being a good friend and lots of fun, my brother is an enjoyable and influential person to me because he participates in so many campus activities. For instance, he is the vice-president of Rotaract, a member of the college chorus, and an officer in Phi Kappa Phi, a college honor society. If a person is the friend of someone as involved in as many campus activities as my brother participates in, then he is bound to meet interesting people on campus. Although people would enjoy and benefit from knowing my brother, they would also understand why I respect him so much.

By my respect for Jack I mean that I have a high esteem for his sense of values. He is a person who is true to his principles, and I have great confidence in his integrity. For example, my brother had the opportunity to attend college on an athletic scholarship but could not study what he wanted at the school that offered him the scholarship. This was a hard decision for him .However, he passed up the “free ride” and refused the scholarship. He had to work his way through school .If many people had the same opportunity, most of them would take the easy way out. I hope that I can remain as true to my values as my brother has. “Know thyself” is the ancient Greek motto, and I respect my brother because he lives by it; consequently, I can always rely on his judgment.

I know that I can always rely on Jack for sound advice. For instance, when I when I was getting a lot of pressure from friends, I had a problem that I did not want to talk to my parents or teachers about. I went to my brother because I knew that he was reliable and would listen to my side of the story first, without making an instant condemnation. In a similar situation with one of my friends his counselor at school “passed the buck” to his parents, and his parents over-reacted to the problem without understanding it. My brother was nothing like these people. For example, he listened to my problem, asked me questions, and helped me to see the way to a solution. I feel that I can always count on my brother’s advice.

Although I love and respect all of my family, I am especially close to my brother. He is enjoyable company and has earned my respect. I know I can always rely on my brother.