The thing about Brian is that he is not only a spectacular kid in and of himself, but he also helped make me the person (and teacher) I am today. See, Brian was one of the main reasons I wanted to go into education in the first place. Let me explain.
For his whole life, Brian has often had to work twice as hard to get where he needed to be. Needless to say, he got there. And I would say he got there with flying colors. This was certainly not without the help from several amazing educators and arts directors who made a difference in his life. Seeing the growth Brian has made in his life made me all too eager to be that support, in one way or another, for any child who needs it.
I'd have to say, though, that Brian's influence on me started way before I was able to see such monumental growth. On the day Brian was born, the day I became a big sister, I was changed forever. For the first time in my life, I became a role model, a protector, an advocate, and an educator. Although I probably didn't realize this at the mature age of 4, Brian's life has been one of the prime movers of my own.
Anyone can be a big sibling, but not everyone chooses to live up to that role wholeheartedly. I can't say that my decision was deliberate or even selfless, for that matter. I can say, though, that at one point I subconsciously decided that Brian was my brother and that what hurts him hurts me, what makes him laugh makes me laugh, and what he succeeds in is a success for me.
It is with this love that I entered into the teaching career. I even find myself talking to my kids as I talked (and still talk) to Brian so many times. I am a role model, a protector, an advocate, and an educator to these kids. I am more than proud to say that I learned each and every one of these roles through the life of my amazing, not-so-little-anymore brother.
No comments:
Post a Comment