Writer's brief One

An Unlikely Hero: My Baby Brother

Stephen, my two year old brother, was not someone I expected to turn to when I was lost, and yet I find myself doing so more often with each passing day. He has been helping me out from the first day he entered my life. Since then, the idea of being a bad influence on such an innocent soul has scared me into making sensible decisions despite how miniscule they seem. The pressure to be a good influence that Stephen has put on me has made a potential man out of a seemingly adolescent boy, and for that, I consider him to be my personal hero.

Stephen’s first piece of guidance was given to me on the day we met, when our eyes connected for the first time, and it immediately had a dramatic effect on the way that I lived my life. Up until that point, I was usually in an altered state of mind, but as I looked into my new born baby brother’s eyes, I realized that I needed to have a clear head at all times in order to be an adequate role model for Stephen. When I left the hospital that day I knew I was different coming out than I was going in, but I had no idea how much Stephen had changed me. He was born on April 17th of 2007, and since that day I have been completely sober, aside from the occasional get together on the weekends. Now, as I look at my baby brother, I worry about his future, and that pushes me to give him a good example of what success really means. I accredit my getting back into school, regardless of my past failures, to the feeling of responsiblity that Stpehen has given me. Ever since I have realized how good he is for me, I make a point to sit down with him every day and thank him for what he has done so far and ask myself what I should do next in order to better my life along with Stephen’s more importantly.

Without Stephen knowing, he has become the most important positive influence in my life. Basically keeping me from a lifetime of bad decisions, and only a hero could save someone from their own mistakes. Stephen is not capable of answering any of my questions directly, but the thought of impacting his future helps clear my mind and helps guide me to the more logical choices in life.