Glad for Siblings

We are better adults if we can be glad for our siblings. After all, they were along for the same ride as we were while growing up. And if we grew up with them, then they certainly have some of the same shared experiences as we do. Their point of view will of course be different, but it can also be helpful.  

I have three older sisters, two older brothers and a younger brother who was born on my third birthday. Though each of us came from the same parents, no two of us are quite the same.

Dramatic, soft hearted, driven, passionate, elusive, creative, opinionated, merciful, and confrontational describes, in part, some of the qualities possessed by my siblings and me. 

Though I didn’t know it at the time, growing up around all these different kinds of people was a good thing because we had to learn to get along. If there was bickering, whining or fighting among us, then there were consequences. The gravity of Dad’s warning, or mother’s scolding was enough for us to surrender our “rights” in order to keep civility among us. 

Not only did we have to learn to get along with a variety of different personalities, we also had to learn how to share. We shared the same bathroom, bedrooms, clothes and in my case, a birthday. 

None of us were left to ourselves by ourselves very often or for very long. None of us ever got a whole cake for ourselves, or a wardrobe without hand-me-downs. But neither did we have to sit by ourselves at the dinner table or do chores alone. Two were always assigned to cleaning the kitchen after dinner. 

Having siblings also meant that you could find at least one other person among the bunch who would let in on the game they were playing, the adventure they were planning or the thoughts they were thinking.

Siblings. They more than likely helped us to break habits like sucking our thumb, wetting the bed, or crying over spilled milk. They might even have helped us sneak out at night or back in before dawn. They may have taken our paper route when we had the flu, kept our secrets, and shared the last cookie instead of eating it themselves. 

Why Bother?

Why bother being glad for siblings?  The thing about siblings is that growing up together we share some of the same experiences, but from a different perspective. If we are lucky enough to still have a civil relationship with any of our siblings, sharing memories from different perspectives may shed some light on our past as well as on our present.

P.S.  I wrote the story of my journey to forgiveness for those who need clarity when it comes to understanding forgiveness. You can find A Heart’s Journey To Forgiveness at Redemption Press and Amazon.