When I reminisce about my childhood what I remember most is fighting with my older brother. We were at odds since before I was even born. He was jealous of all the attention I was getting in my family as the new baby girl. We were always arguing or brawling in some way, usually about the most trivial things. I never played the right way or built the forts we would make with our other siblings correctly. By the time we were teenagers we had absolutely no relationship and continued to not get along.
When I was sixteen, he was twenty one and managing at a restaurant and reluctantly got me a job. Although I wanted the job, I was not looking forward at all to spending any more time than I had to with him. But an amazing thing happened: the more time we spent together, not so much in our brother and sister role, but as coworkers, we were able to relate more than ever. We bonded about all the things we did not like about the restaurant, coworker gossip, and finally about our family. A friendship with my big brother developed for the first time in my life. He lives in Louisiana now, but we have remained close, rarely fought, and have actually taken on the sibling relationship that we missed out on while clashing all of those years.
With my other siblings those relationships were not so strained. My sister and I are two years apart and, ever since we were roommates and played Barbies for hours on end, have been the best of friends. We could escape from the boys and just hang out with each other. My younger brother by four years has always been a source of laughter for me, lightening up any mood with a joke or just acting out of his lack of common sense. As we have aged and matured, our ages seem irrelevant as we relate to each other more and more, feeling as though we are all equals.
I will never take for granted the special relationship that only a sibling can provide. Through everything—successes, disappointments, breakups, friendship problems, the best of times, or the worst—family is what will hopefully always be there. Not everyone I know is lucky enough to be so close to their family, and I will forever cherish the tight knit bonds that I have with mine. I believe that the love and support that we constantly give to each other is incredibly important and valuable. No matter who comes in or out of my life, I will forever appreciate my brothers and sister who will always be there. They make me want to be a better person so that I can always be a positive role model and friend in their life. My siblings have helped mold me into the person that I am and will always be a guiding force in my life.
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3 comments:
I like how you started your childhood with that anecdote about your brother. We always take family, especially siblings, for granted, but when we actually develop relationships with them, it's funny how much they suddenly matter. I think that your essay is on-point and focused.
It's crazy how you don't realize how important your family is until you're older. I don't know what I would do without my sister. I agree with isabelle that story about your brother is cute and I'm happy to hear how you're so close to your family. Nothing is more important than family!
I think that it kind of works out that way that there is always that one sibiling that you are not the close to but in the end after spending so much time together than you realize that you to are probably the closes out of anyone in your family.
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