That girl that is always looking out for her siblings, checking on them, telling what to do and not

to do is how my family sees me. I’m very strict in myself and with those that surround me. I look

out for their best interests and that caring relationship is sometimes seen as bossy and nosy. I’m

always there for them when they need me but I’m also there when they don’t want me there

especially with my two brothers on whom I take a special interest.

My two brothers started having too much freedom at an early stage of their life. At my

point of view they should it have had some type of rules or restriction but my parents trusted

them way too much to do that. I always contradicted the freedom they had, but I would get shut

down with the statement “They know what they are doing and the consequences to their actions,”

my mother would always say. I guess my brothers didn’t really know the meaning of that quote

and had to find it the hard way.

I can remember that day as if it was yesterday; it was around six of the morning, when I

went to my brother’s room to get something when I realize that my older brother was not there,

instantly I started recalling the night before and where he said he was going to be. Like the other

times I sent him a text message to check with him, he did not reply me back. Him not replying

my text was not a surprise, they usually ignore my texts when they are with their friends. I was

not worried at all; it was not the first time that he had stayed at his friend’s house.

I was at work doing the regular things I do, when I over hear one of my mangers say that

my brother was not going to be able to work the following weeks because he had a car accident

but that was not it; later that day I found out that while my mom was at home worrying for him

he had been drinking with his friends. I didn’t know what to feel anger or worry towards him. I

cannot count with my hands how many times I told him that his friends were not a good

company to keep, but he would not listen to me. He crashed my dad’s truck, but that was not it,

he had also fractured his left foot. He was now not only without transportation but also unable to

walk and to work, all because of his friends.

The car accident was not the only mistake that happened but also my naïve way of

thinking. I wrongly judged his friends taking everything on them and not on the right person. I

guess I saw my brother as a tool that his friends used to get transportation and anything they

needed. I misjudge him, I tough that he was just a tool but no, he was not. He was very aware of

what was going on with his life and the choices he made came from him and not his friends. I

guess that was my mistake underestimating my brother and thinking that he was innocent, when

he knew what he was doing and the consequences of his actions. Now after all that I stopped the

text messages and the late night talks in which I tried to make him understand that his friends

were a bad company because I know that he is equally responsible and his friends were not the

ones that chose to drive intoxicated. I should not feel guilty or responsibility if anything happens

to him again due to his poor choices because I know I tried my best to guide him to the right

track. He is now guiding himself to his own road whether we like it or not and there’s nothing we

can do about it.