Following the track of publications I have published, I don’t think I have written anything linked to my brothers. I usually write about my parents, but never about brothers though they are as important as them. By this order, I wanted to share three learnings from my dear brothers, Ibrahim, Malek, and Hadi. I am the oldest sibling to three boys, with a different age gap between the four of us. Although there seems to be a relatively vast age difference between my last two brothers and me, I never felt it.

My connection remains close and unique with each of my brothers. Even though I miss the sister figure in my family but having my best friend never made me feel it much; maybe it would have felt different if I was the middle child! Too many assumptions, right?

Although It has been four years since we were together, I blame myself for taking too long to visit home. This article is an opportunity to reflect on my relationship with each of them. Also, for them to know how much I care about them even when I don’t stress it much! Being the older sister comes with its responsibilities. I have always felt the need to protect them even though they grew into amazing and respectful men. Each one of them is unique.

Learnings & Reflections

First, I will start with my brother Ibrahim. We are only three years apart in age, so it is not that much difference. I get to learn so much from him. He has always been the one to cover up for me when we were kids. From Ibrahim, I learned compassion, kindness, and care, which he doesn’t try to hide. I knew that action speaks louder than words, and he has consistently shown that through his support. Calmness is his specialty which I admit I am learning my way to it. Rushing into decisions is not helpful, and rationality is another thing I learned from him.

I am ten years older than Malek, the middle child; when he was younger, I felt overly protective of him. I understand that it is also related to his health which he struggled with from a young age for quite some time. As he grew older, I learned that not everything or everyone is worth reacting to it. Sometimes, it is best to save energy for better things. I also learned that silence doesn’t mean you are clueless. Silence can indicate strength, too. Malek is always there to listen and talk when needed.

Finally, my youngest brother Hadi is the mini version of me. We are too similar that it is scary at times. I am fifteen years older than him, but we share so much in our personalities. It is surreal at times how much I see myself in him. However, from Hadi, I learned persistence and determination to thrive for the best.

In addition, I learned from him what it means to love home unconditionally, which I admire the most about him. Although he is young, his love and care for Libya are what I admire the most about him. His thoughtful and evident attention is always inspiring to observe. Most importantly, I learned to show my feelings to loved ones without hesitation.

My brothers taught me so much, and they have always shown support. I hope that they learned from me as much as I learned from them. Regardless of our differences at times but I am glad to witness their growth and development in life. Hopefully, we get to make more memories together.