My Role Model is My Brother
To most young teens today, a person of inspiration maybe the cliché; mom, dad, Martin Luther King Jr. or even the common, Bob Marley. When given the question, why?, general answers are provided. To fully grasp the concept of having an inspiration, one must understand first the definition of the word, “inspire.” According to Webster’s Dictionary, the words “inspire” is defined as; “(v.) to fill with an animating quickening, or exalting influence.” One person who has made an impact on my life, and has been an inspiration to me, would be my brother.
Born February 23, 1989, Justin was the oldest out of three children. Nine short years after his birth, Justin passed away on the day of July 11, 1998. Being the youngest, all I ever wanted was to be around him. I never knew that in those short four years, I would learn so much. Faith has always been a very important aspect in my family, and Justin had a faith not common to most nine-year olds. He took the fundamentals that we were raised on and expanded his own knowledge. His relationship with God inspired me to begin my faith journey. Justin made a tremendous impact on my faith life, that I will always be thankful for and I still continue to grow with God and Justin alongside.
Another way that Justin made an impact on my life was that he taught me the virtue of patience. According to my parents, Justin’s most difficult class was mathematics. He had developed a passionate disliking for it but, had enough patience to persevere every school year. His patience impacted me in every way possible. I am quite the perfectionist and it takes a couple of times before I achieve my goal. It can become very aggravating and tiring when it is not accomplished the first time around. Justin has become an example for me, I aspire to posses as much patience as he embodied.
One last way my brother has impacted my life was through his selflessness. Justin always put others before himself. He had such an endless love for his family and his friends. He treated me and my sister as if we were his own daughters. His selflessness has impacted my life as an inspiration. I aspire to become a selfless person like he was. Community service is a huge part of my life. I love giving back to the community as much as I can. Selflessness is another virtue that isn’t easy to own. It takes a lot of patience to become selfless, and Justin taught me both.
Justin was not perfect. In reality, he was just a child. But even the smallest of children can be the ones who inspire the world. Justin definitely impacted my life by becoming a role model to me. He handled every situation thrown at him mature manner exceeding his own age. I aspire to be just like him, to posses his qualities and virtues. His legacy is one that will always inspire me, everyday.
