6 Things You Should Thank Your Older Brother For

For being your first male friend. Contrary to a popular misconception, you can be friends with people of the opposite sex. Girls who have older brothers know this very well because their brothers have taught them how to be friends with guys. Hanging out with your older brother helped you understand how integender friendship works.

For intimidating your boyfriends. When you first started dating, your big brother made sure to scare the crap out of your boyfriend and gave him the iconic “If you ever hurt my little sister...” speech. Maybe your first boyfriend was actually a sweet and caring guy who would never hurt your intentionally, but it was nice to know that your older brother cares about you. And when he thought that you were dating a jerk, he honestly told you that you deserved better.

For protecting you. Maybe the whole “intimidating little sister's boyfriend” routine wasn't exactly necessary and appropriate, but you did appreciate when your older brother protected you (and, by extension, your friends) from bullies. Your brother was your first superhero, and even though he sometimes got overprotective, you knew it was out of love.

For introducing you to cool things. He made you listen to good music and introduced you to sports, he let your borrow his comic books and taught you about pop culture. You may have different tastes in music, books, etc., but the point is that your brother helped you broaden your horizons and taught you to be open to new experiences.

For giving your confidence and courage. Whenever you were too afraid to do something (for example, to ask that cute guy to Sadie Hawkins or to apply to your dream college even though you were sure you wouldn't get in), he encouraged you to try. And even when things didn't work out, he was proud of your courage and helped you overcome your failure and move on.

For always being there for you. Even though he sometimes acted like he didn't care about you, you always knew that he did. Your relationship isn't perfect, you still disagree on many things and fight every now and then, but at the end of the day you are absolutely sure that he looks out for you and wants you to be happy. No matter how old you get, he will consider it his full-time job to have you back. Isn't that awesome?