Rafael Valdez

My brother, Rafael Valdez

What does hero mean to me? A hero is a very courageous person who helps someone and has a positive effect on their life. I always thought that a hero did not need to be a person who saves lives. A hero is a person you admire, and my brother, Rafael Arturo Valdez, is the epitome of a hero. My brother is like the sunshine in the sky.

In Boston on February 20, 1986, my brother, Rafael Valdez, was born. Even though we fight all the time, I still consider Rafael, now eighteen, my hero, and I will always love him. On the other hand, he is a very good brother and if I did not have him, I would be missing out on all the fun things we do. I love to tell my brother secrets that I cannot tell my parents. He is always there for me when I am angry and I need someone to talk to.

In the past three years my brother has been going through a difficult time in his life, but I still consider him a hero. He realizes that he is going down the wrong road and he encourages me to not make the same mistakes. The words that he says inspire me and he makes me very proud when he tells me, “Don’t be like me and stay in school, and you’ll see you will be successful.” I listened to those special words and will keep those words with me everyday. I will make my loving brother very proud.

As I reminisce, I remember the day my brother saved my life. When I was only one year old, my brother was babysitting me. All of a sudden the fire alarm went off. I started crying hysterically and my brother, being very brave, ran into the bedroom to get me. All of a sudden he ran and grabbed what clothes he could to dress me. The funny thing was that he only put on one shoe. He ran all the way downstairs from the sixth floor and outside. I knew that when he got downstairs he felt relieved. From that day on, I knew that my brother cared for me and was a very courageous person. From this experience I will always have a special bond with my brother.

I thank God that he brought Rafael Valdez, my older brother, into this world. Some people looking at my brother may not agree. I think that if my hero was not a part of my life, I would not believe in myself. I love my courageous brother and he will always be #1 in my heart.