Growing Little Brothers

I have noticed something: my brothers are growing up. They are starting to get handsome and cute. They are starting to look (and smell) masculine. And they are starting to eat the house to the ground! They are entering their teens and turning into men.
I knew this would happen someday. However, it never occurred to me until somewhat recently that there are girls out there who are about the same age as my brothers - girls who have only two things on their mind: boys and prince charming.

Looking back at the girls I knew when I was little, and knowing how girls think, I suddenly find myself polishing my baseball bat with eager fingers. Usually, when I polish my baseball bat, it is to prime it for some boys face. But this time, it is not being polished for boys who are looking to get my attention – it’s for the girls who will start looking to get my brother's attention.

Girls now are not that different from girls I knew when I was little. The girls I knew in the past would melt if they saw a cute guy. They would dress to get his attention. They would act really weird to get his attention. They would ditch me to get his attention. They would ask me for help to get his attention. They would talk to me about him for hours. They always wondered if he had noticed them. They would try to be alone with him. They would almost break down and cry if they saw him with another girl. They would try their name with his last name, draw hearts with his name inside, try to go to all the social gatherings that they knew he would be at.... and, of course, they would try their very best to get his attention while they were there. What a stressful, tiring lifestyle. I thought it was dumb then. I think it is REALLY dumb now. Any more, if a girl starts talking to me about a boy she is “crushing on”, then I try to have a serious conversation with her and get her to start using her brain for logical thinking. She does not need to worry about dating until she is ready to get married, she won’t be old enough to get married until she is at least 17, she needs to let the guy chase her (not the other way around), and she needs to choose a guy who has a heart for the Lord, is a hard worker, and who respects his family. Then I tell her that she needs to work on her relationship with her family, because if she can’t get her relationship right with her parents and siblings, then she won’t get it right with a husband.

Now as my brothers are starting to turn into those cute boys I used to see girls swoon over when I was younger, I find that I want to be less graceful with those silly girls who see wedding bells if a cute boys smiles at them. I suddenly feel a snarling monster crawling at the edges of my heart. It wants to lash out if I ever catch a young girl trying to get my brother’s attention for her own selfish reasons. I’m having dreams at night of the girls in my past trying to get my brother’s attention, and dream that I walk up to them, give them a “high-five-in-the-face” and push them into the dirt!
I thought I was a protective older sister before, but now that my brothers are getting older, I find that I am a VERY protective older sister.

Don't get me wrong now: I want my brothers to get married. If I am going to be a happy old maid who lives in peace and quiet by herself and has nieces and nephews to dote on, then I want all my siblings to get married. I seriously do! I love my siblings, but I don’t want to put up with them in the same house forever (and I ain’t gonna move out of the house just because I’m “22 years old and should be out on my own”. Bah!). Besides that, I think it is good for a man to get married. I want each of my brothers to have a wonderful wife that loves him, does her best to serve him, stay under his authority, and raise his children in a Godly way. I also want extra sisters that I can get along with, talk to, visit with, hang out with, and drive crazy. BUT… I want God to show my brothers who the right girl is, not a girl to show my brothers who she thinks the right girl is. God knows my brothers better than I do, and I know He can bring the right woman to my brother’s attention…without the woman's help (including this woman). However...that being said...If I ever see a little chick trying to flirt and/or dress in ways to get my brother's attention, I totally intend to grab her, sit her down, and put the fear of God in her! Bar none! I won’t be mean (maybe)... but at least I will possibly start making her use her brain for THINKING, instead of focusing on silly little romantic thoughts.