Never does the phrase “can’t live with them, can’t live without them” hold truer than for some siblings. Who else teaches us the difference between jealousy and hate? How else would we prepare for the overwhelming competition in the real world? Where else would you find someone so intensely devoted to you and so comfortable with you?

I know my brother better than anyone else in the world. Through fleeing babysitters and workaholic parents, we have been there for each other. Since the moment of his birth, I’ve been part of his life, although the opposite has been far from true.

I had spent seven happy years in the world basking in the attention of those around me. But when Rohan was born, life as I knew it changed. Suddenly I had to share my toys, the camera had a new spotlight, and independence was thrust on me out of nowhere. No more bedtime stories or my own choice of entrees. No more “big girl” vacations.

Inevitably, I focused my anger on the person who I felt was responsible: my brother. The poor infant had no idea what warranted my aversion. Maybe he found me peculiar, the only person in this house of admirers who did not fawn over him. Whatever the reason, he loved following me around. Everywhere. I responded by ignoring him or demanding he leave me alone.

Then all that changed. I hardly remember the details of that day six years ago, but I do remember that I was feeling intensely angry. Somehow my feet led me to my brother’s crib. My hand, completely free from my mind, reached through the bars. Instantly, he encircled his fist around my index finger and squeezed. And that was all I needed. Through all the disappointments and frustrations of the day, that one moment changed everything. How could I hate someone who made me feel so important? For the first time, I saw my brother, not through the eyes of a disgruntled star who had lost her fame, but for the first time, through the eyes of a sister.

To this day, I can’t imagine life without my brother. He tugs at my hand and reminds me that I am needed. My significance lies in the touch of his fingers, the intensity of his gaze, the admiration in his voice. It is unbelievable how much I have learned about life from a seven-year-old. Above all, Rohan has taught me to get rid of my selfishness. And that alone would be enough to make me love him.