“The Value of a Single Human Life”
Nehemiah
Rutland, VT
I am 12 years old and before being asked to write this essay had already realized that I am grateful for my younger brother, Moses. Moses is 10, almost 11, so we are very close in age and that has provided a very strong bond between us over the years. Moses is not just some kid born into our family, he was a gift to me! He is a gift of a brother, steady companion, friend and adventure partner with whom I make my core childhood memories with.
Moses ended up being seen as a blessing and a gift but he was a total surprise at first. My parents thought they were done having more children because, before Moses was born, our family already had 4 kids. I had much older siblings and no boy close to my age. I was too little at the time to really understand how having a new baby brother would change my life but I see it now that I am older and I can’t imagine my life without Moses. Moses was born the day after Christmas so you could say that he was the best Christmas gift a boy ever received: the gift of a best friend and playmate.
Moses and I have had too many adventures together to even count. We play sports, sharing teams, wins and losses. We rock climb and have enough trust to hold each other’s rope. We are downhill ski buddies loving all the same trails, racing for fun. We go backpacking out on the Long Trail and camping and make bonfires even at home, getting lost in adventures right in our backyard. We share friends! I have so many fun memories of our adventures that even the hardships we experience tend to make funny stories later on.
It might sound like Moses and I are identical twins who like all the same things but we are not. We are very different. Moses is extremely studious in school and goes to private school. He likes technology and to hunker down with a good book or board game. I am homeschooled and I prefer to work with my hands to learn. I like to get outside as much as possible and let my imagination take over. I think those differences are why our bond is good. We help, influence and we compliment each other.
Not every kid has the blessing of a sibling who they share such a bond with as Moses and I do. I am so glad that God gave me the opportunity to be a big brother to Moses and experience life with such a pal and that God has shown me to appreciate it. I pray that our bond continues into life as we grow up together. I am so thankful that my parents did not stop having kids after me or my life would be very different.
