I was tired of sharing a room with my little sister. Tired of cleaning her messes. Just plain tired. I slammed a few dollhouse toys into the storage container and grumbled when one immediately bounced back out.

“Sister,” I heard the voice behind me say.

“What?” I growled, turning to shoot my older brother a warning look.

He stood in my bedroom doorway holding a plate in his outstretched arm. “I made you a taco. Just the way you like it. No tomatoes.”

I tried to be angry, but it didn’t work. The corner of my mouth twitched in amusement. A sparkle slipped into my eye. I burst out laughing there in the middle of the mess I had been so frustrated over only a moment earlier. I ate every last bit of that taco.

It was the best taco I ever tasted in my life.

Brothers can be the most irritating creatures on the planet. They can also be one of the greatest blessings in your life. And it’s funny to note how quickly they bounce back and forth between the two.

My brothers like to make me laugh. Most of the time, they’re only trying to be funny, but other days – taco days – their silliness is actually their way of supporting you. I can’t even tell you how many stressful situations have been lightened because my brothers manage to find humor in even the most hopeless of situations, proving that laughter truly is the best medicine.

Yes, there are days when I don’t find their efforts quite so entertaining. There are days I’ve looked to the heavens and shouted, “Why me, Lord?” But there are other days that I’ve sat in the midst of three amazing boys and laughed for hours on end. And while they’ve been the recipients of my greatest anger, they’re also the ones with whom I’ve shared the deepest, most meaningful conversations.

It was my brothers, more than anyone, who taught me that there is no specific formula for relationships. Each brother differs so drastically from the others, and I’m forced to meet them all on different levels. With each brother, I’ve had to find that special place where we can relate.

I’ve learned to cherish my brothers as I would a friend because, in the end, brothers remain the most faithful. And while they may often be a pain in the neck, no one has your back like a brother.