Everyday after school, I ask my eight-year old brother, Aaron, how his day went. Sometimes he tells me he had a good day and got a red stamp as a reward. Other days, he tells me he sat in the principal's office for lunch and was sent home early.

Good or bad, I am always sure that it was an adventure.

My brother is a little different from most children. He has Down syndrome, meaning he is mentally-challenged.

When I was seven-years old, my parents sat me down and told me that they were going to have another child. Two days after Aaron was born, I became worried that something bad had happened. My parents cried a lot and a couple of people that I did not know had been coming over to our house.

My parents told me that my newborn brother had Down syndrome. They explained to me that Aaron had a trisomy 21 (extra genetic material on the 21st chromosome). They then explained that my brother was mentally challenged; I now had a "retarded" brother.

Little did I know this tiny genetic difference would cause so much frustration, joy and love.

Spreading kindness

This statistic breaks my heart. While children with Down syndrome do require extra time of the parents, the payoff is well worth it.

Aaron brings me joy on a daily basis. I enjoy wrestling with him and playing "tickle time," as well as helping him with his homework and watching him participate in taekwondo.

In each activity he does, he has friends, despite his disability. I am quite sure we are all better off knowing Aaron.

Because of my brother I am a more compassionate person. If I see a disabled person at an event, I try to help them in a simple way, like offering to tie a shoe, or help find a parent.

Sometimes the people around me mock those with special needs. I find this hurtful, since my brother could very well be the person they make fun of one day.

Close relationships

He enjoys making "friends" with television characters. Sometimes his Toy Story action figure Woody loses his hat and Aaron becomes extremely distressed. He cannot sleep at night until Woody's hat is found.

Our family adores him as well. My sister Lauren and I sometimes argue over who gets to spend time with Aaron. My parents have meetings often, usually with his school, to plan how he will get care.

I once asked my mom if she ever got frustrated at how much time she had to take out of her work schedule because of the little guy.

"Never, ever," she said.

The importance of patience and tolerance

On this morning, Aaron decided to take off his shoes while he was in the elevator. When the next person who tried to use the elevator got stuck inside, we knew that Aaron had pulled something. Eventually, we figured out he had broken the elevator by jamming his orthotics, which are custom insoles, inside the shaft.

Occasionally my brother will also have a major outburst or throw a temper tantrum. Then other parents stand, looking down their noses at my family as if we were the scum of the earth.

They seem to assume my parents simply let their child run around and yell because they don't care, which is not true. My parents do everything they can to encourage good behavior.

Many people would get frustrated if they had to live with Aaron everyday. However, for me, I have never known it to be anything but a blessing.

Not everyone can or should have a special needs child in their family, but everyone should be tolerant and polite to the ones they meet. These people mean the world to their family and friends.