Duncan Hines, like the cake mix.

His favourite candy is Smarties, he loves cars, playing catch, and turning ACDC up louder than it should ever be. He loves his friends and spending hours on XBOX, even when I want the TV.
He's my little brother, and he is my hero.

You see, my brother has cerebral palsy. For those of you who don't know what that is, in short, it means the parts of his brain that should make all his muscles work properly together and his brain functions correlate with is age, those parts don't work the way they should.
But I wouldn't have it any other way.

We have at home spa days, he even paints my nails!

Yes, you heard me properly: I like that my brother has disabilities, that he's handicapped, that he's "special", whatever you want to call it; I'm glad he is the way he is.
Now, before you get all up in a tizzy, hear me out: My brother is one of the happiest, most caring, beautiful, loving, and absolutely selfless people you could ever imagine meeting in all of the universe. His disabilities have not only opened my eyes to a world that most people would rather leave unnoticed and untouched, but he's taught me to embrace and laugh at everything that makes us unique as individuals - no what matter those traits may be.

One of the proudest moments of my entire
life: his grade 8 graduation.

I'm not saying that it isn't hard, because believe me, my life has been anything but easy. Especially having a brother who can't walk or talk properly and who can't always think or care for himself but I wouldn't be who I am today without what he alone has added to my life.
I've learned how to cook for, clean up after, and care for another human. Something most of my friends wont do for another several years when they have kids of their own. I can usually spot a hazard before it arises, I know how to create endless amusement for someone with the attention span of a chipmunk on speed. Better yet, I've learned how to tell adversity and those decks stacked against me to "come at me bro", and really mean it. I've learned how to appreciate the big things, the little things and everything in between.

What about all that makes him my hero?
He gets up every morning and faces a world that does nothing but tell him that he's not good enough and that he's missing out on so much because he's 'different'. But instead of letting all that negativity get him down, he looks it back in the face and shows that same world that there's nothing he can't do.

People look at him for what's keeping him in the wheelchair and what he can't do, he looks at his wheelchair and thinks of everything he can do because of it - even if that means running over my feet and giving me a heart attack when he goes too fast down the sidewalk.

Since my third birthday (yes, we are 3 and a half hours shy of being exactly 3 years apart), I have had a shining beacon of hope, joy, and the purest love a sister could ask for right in front of me. For the last almost 17 years, he has cheered on, fought me for the remote, I've stolen his sweaters and he's scratched my CDs. He's kept me grounded..and got me grounded. He's pulled my hair and taken my pillows, but even through everything we've braved together and understand me when I tell you that that list isn't a short one either.. He has always, without even the possibility of a doubt, believed in me.

I don't know what, or who I would be without him.

Did I mention his name is Duncan Hines? Yep. No joke, he's that cool.