IEW_Alexandra_The Person I am Grateful to

 

The Person I am Grateful To.

While living apart from my family for almost more than four years, I realized the values that are important in my life and reprioritized the things I appreciate the most now. I definitely can say that for me there is nothing more important than my family. The values, lessons and experience I got from my family are the priceless gifts in my life, which developed my personality and gave me a chance to chase my dream. However, there is one person that influenced on me a lot in many ways from my very childhood- my old brother.

My old brother is quite handsome- he is tall, tidy and always well dressed. He has some aristocratic facial features- sharp cheekbones, aquiline nose and thin lips. Even though he is an Asian, he looks more like a European with yellow skin. The one thing that can fully describe my brother is tidiness. The way he eats or drinks also reminds me an old gentleman from late 60s. He never sheds or drabbles while having a meal or drinking a tea. Moreover, his room and closet are always clean and tidy, as if it is a famous brand's showcase room. However, my brother has a terrible and obstinate character. That is why we had spent all our childhood as the "Cold war".  My brother can easily become mad at someone if he just has a bad mood. Also, if he gets bored he treats others to make them mad at him- this is how he has fun. Of course, when he had gone to a middle school he immediately became a troublemaker, so everyone in our school knew him as a "bad Asian guy". However, he had never punched someone until he or she said something bad or wrong about him. Even though he used to be a troublemaker, he always was fair to others. As I grew up, being always next to him, I got used to his rude, wild and unusual behavior. He even did not bother me anymore. I do not remember exactly when, but from a certain point we suddenly became closer, as if we were friends all our life. Perhaps we just grew up and became more mature, so we finally "spoke in the same language". We often talked to each other, sharing our secrets and thoughts, and we were sure that no one of us would betray. Every time we gathered together in our big, cozy living room in front of TV, watching it and in the same time talking and giggling about other things, I always felt so comfortable and cozy, like I have never felt the same with anyone else. I was glad that he could be real in front of me, not pretending a cool old brother that I should avoid. I also was glad that I was the only one he could be normal with. But still, he still was a troublemaker- he did not study hard, and he even missed a lot of classes. He did not think about his future seriously, he did not prepare hard for his high school graduation exams, so our parents worried a lot, saying all the time, "What if he won't get in any university?" Obviously, studying was not something what he liked to do, or took seriously. So, because of his horrible attitude to his academic study, our parents argued a lot, whether to let him to do what he wanted or to push on him more to make him study harder. I still remember how our parents got upset every time he made troubles or got low grades, I even once saw how our mother was crying. That moment was very crucial for me. First thing I did, I talked to my brother about his problems, but no matter how many times I asked him to start to study hard, he did not want to listen to me and always told me- "Please, stop! You are too little to tell me what to do! Get lost!" Soon, I just gave up on him, since I knew that his terrible character would get over me.  Thus, without even realizing it, I put a lot of efforts in my studying, I literally spend almost more than 13 hours per day, studying and reading some additional literature if it was needed. I became extremely eager to study- I actively participated in different academic contests, events and research studies. Thus, as expected, I end up as the best student in my high school, so I got the scholarship to study abroad.

Perhaps, all what I have today I would not get if my brother would not be the person that was the closest to me. He was the role model that I wanted to become an opposite of. I saw many times how he made our parents upset and disappointed, so I unconsciously set the goal to be a child that will bring only good results, so making our parents proud of me. Achieving that goal, I got a variety of experience, which, I truly believe, built my personality as a strong, goal achieving and communicative. Moreover I could better see the picture of what I want to do in near future, I could better understand myself.  

Although I have an opposite character, my old brother is still the only one person I can trust and rely on. He taught me how to be confident, how to ignore others and how to keep the concentration on my goals. The most important thing is that he taught me many life lessons, not by straightly talking about them, but by showing me "what to not to do"- that actually was an effective way to positively impact on me. That is why, my old brother is the person I will be grateful to all my life.