Brothers do inspire no matter what by amanali

Brothers do inspire no matter what by amanali - October 2013 Scholarship Essay

My brother is autistic, it has been difficult for my parents and me to support and help him in his development towards a better future. I remember spending endless hours in speech therapy, behavior therapy, occupational therapy, and inclusion services waiting for improvements. We interacted differently, and he expressed himself differently. My brother was just so very distinctive from the rest of society that I did not think he was going to overcome any obstacles he faced in life.

I remember a specific day a long time ago… I was about eight years old and my brother was ten. My parents got in an argument about something I don’t quite remember. I guess it was a big deal because they fought all day, probably the scariest argument of my life. The continuous yelling was terrifying for me. I spent more time crying, hoping nothing bad would happen than actually doing something about it. Hours passed and my parent’s voices still demonstrated anger and frustration until out of nowhere it all stopped. The house got so quiet that I walked out of my room and into my parents. The image I saw is still so vivid in my mind. My brother was standing in front of both my parents holding a picture of their wedding day. He looked at them for a couple of seconds and then said “STOP, PLEASE STOP”. After that, there were no more arguments. I was like watching that little bit of sun after an awful thunderstorm.

The boy that could not read facial expressions, the boy that was stuck in his own little world was the one that made the difference. I underestimated my brother until that day and for the first time ever I looked up to him. He put things into perspective for me and helps me see things in color. Thanks to my brother I see people differently, I interpret and analyze before concluding. Not judging a book by its cover is truly something amazing!