Austin Armstrong

My older brotherShannon ArmstrongBy definition, a hero is "a person who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities" (dictionary.com). This may be a firefighter, a police officer, a doctor, or someone that makes a difference. Man, woman, child -- anyone who makes a difference to an individual, intentionally or not, is a hero.

My hero is my big brother, Austin. He is tall and a self-labelled nerd. He's the second youngest of six children and a father of two. He works in the public as a cook and cashier. Not only is he my big brother, but he is also my best friend.

Austin is a father. His oldest child he adopted as his own when the boy was nine months old. Austin attracts "societal weirdos." They aren't weird or strange to him. They are his friends. He doesn't care if one has autism or depression. He wouldn't care if you were a one-horned, one-eyed, flying purple people eater. Most importantly, my brother has stood by my side through thick and thin.

When I was little, I didn't have friends. And admittedly, neither did he. But instead of telling me to buzz off because I was lonely, he let me stay. We played video games every day. We went to karate together, and sang together. You name it, we did it together. We were each other's best friend. When our mom would yell, he would take it and protect me. When our dad drove, he made him pull over and took the wheel. Everything he did in his youth was for me. All he does now is for his own kids.

The biggest thing my big brother did for me is he said he loved me, even though I was different from others. Even though I was changing nearly everything about myself and what he grew up with, he stood by me and did what he could to make me happy.

Austin and I aren't as close as we used to be. He is a father and a full-time worker. I am a student and about to move to a big city for higher education. I wish I things could be the way they were, but we all must grow up.

My FamilyMiikal ArmstrongAs different as we are and as far as our lives take us, my big brother will always be my hero, and most importantly, my best friend.