Ethan

Ethan in Peru on a mission trip

His eyes are light green shining stars that seem to laugh when he smiles. He is my older brother, Ethan. He is respect. He treats people as they should be treated. About five months ago, I got a job with Ethan. Even if he is having a bad day, he smiles to the customers and follows the Chick-fil-A motto that is posted on the inside of the kitchen door, “The customer is always right.” Since I started working there, I never realized how much respect he shows people, not just at home, but also in other environments. I don’t think Ethan realizes it, but I see people all the time, at work, school, and church that look up to him because he shows respect towards them.

Looking back on my first year of high school, it seems as if it were just yesterday when we would be driving to school. I remember driving past Bloom every day. Whenever the music would pause, I could hear the faint squeak of the breaks as we came to a stop. Throughout my freshman year, Ethan and I became a lot closer in our relationship. I found it easier to talk to him and things that I would usually only tell my best girl friends, I could talk to him about, too. I now consider Ethan as not only my best friend, but also my close friend. I always feel protected because I know that I have an older brother to take care of me. A couple years ago, I was talking to my friend and she said, “I wish I had an older brother to protect me.” My heart smiled when she said that because I knew that God put him in my life for a reason.

At work, there is a manager who Ethan has developed a close relationship with. I noticed that they have had intense and personal conversations with each other. I think that because Ethan could talk to this manager and tell him what he believed, he showed respect for Ethan. Not only would they have serious conversations, they would joke around with each other, just hanging out and having a good time. The other day, I told Ethan I noticed his respect for others, and I asked him how it made him feel about it and he said, “It makes me feel really good, and I must be doing something right to earn their respect.”

A hero to me is not someone who is super strong, or someone who can fly. A hero is someone who cares about other people and shows respect for them. Ethan is the kind of guy who shows these things, and he is respected by others for that.