The Value of a Brother

“The Value of a Brother”

Standing in -21°C has never been my idea of a good time. When I was told I’d have to attend the Deep Freeze festival for a class project, I invited my mom to go to the festival with me, for a wonderful day of mother-daughter bonding. Then she invited my brother. My brother is 16, and some days he’s alright, but there are definitely days I wonder how I’d hide his body if given the chance. It was one of those days.



Ethan and I have exactly 3 things in common: our last name, our love for our dog, Sadie, and finally, our knack for being very dramatic, while simultaneously claiming we’re not dramatic at all. When we were walking through the neighborhood towards the festival, we walked past a salon with sun bleached posters covering the windows and trash on the ground. My brother turned to me and said “wow, this neighborhood is suuuper sketchy. Let’s find the festival before we get stabbed or something”. As I told him not to judge, because the cost of living is really high, and you never know where you’ll end up, he cut me off and said “shut up Madisen. You’re getting an English degree, don’t talk to me about making lots of money.” Ah yes, there’s nothing like your 16 year old brother to remind you that you will never amount to anything. I couldn’t let him have the last word, so I graciously reminded him that he has absolutely no plans for after high school, so my plan isn't so bad in comparison. We keep each other humble.

Due to being complete opposites, my brother and I rarely bond over things we like. In fact, the foundation of our relationship is built off things we mutually dislike. When we got to the festival, there was a Viking fight that our mom, for whatever reason, wanted to stay and watch. Ethan looked at me, and I immediately knew that he too, was wondering why there were fully grown men in tinfoil hats, screaming, and poking each other with sticks. The best thing about about having a sibling, is that no matter how much you fight, you’ll always forgive one another, if it means being able to make fun of the weird stuff your parent does.

Our family did lots of stuff together when I was a kid. We played almost every sport (all of which I was horrible at), went to new museum exhibits and the zoo (PSA- I no longer support zoo’s, and I don’t think you should either). As Ethan and I got older, our interests became very different and our schedules got a lot more hectic. My family spends a lot of time apart now, so it’s not uncommon for me not to see my brother for days at a time, even though we live together. No matter how much he annoys me or tries to pick fights, I am grateful for the time we do get to spend together because I know it won’t be like this forever.

Our dad died a few years ago, so these moments have become even more precious, and we make an even bigger effort to spend time together. Spending the day at the Deep Freeze and seeing all the families around makes me nostalgic for the past. I miss my dad so much, and it’s bittersweet to make these wonderful new memories without him, but it’s never just sadness. It’s also every Friday night I went skating with my dad, and spending countless mornings doing crafts with my mom. I try to remember that the value of this day, and every day as something that will one day be worth so much more.

As I watch kids, running around with their siblings in their candy coloured snow suits, being carried on the shoulders of their parents, I can’t help but realize that these memories could be among their first. They don’t quite understand the magnitude of what these moments mean just yet, but someday they will. I hope that their childhoods are magical, and filled with days just like these, just like my brother’s and mine were.