Blessings From Siblings?

Blessings and siblings in the same sentence? 

I have not always believed I could be blessed by my siblings. But I do now. What changed; them or me? Both.

I’d have to say that most of my brothers and sisters and I have moved past our silo mentality, have become more emotionally intelligent, and have released our preconceived ideas of each other.

A silo mentality in the business world means employees of the same company, but in different departments, are reluctant to communicate with each other. The silo mentality contributes to a fractured culture within an organization. It also reduces the effectiveness and efficiency of a company.

Among my siblings and me, all seven of us acquired a silo mentality after our dad ended his life by suicide. We did not know how to share our grief with each other. And we had no one to model what healthy grief looked like. Instead, the code of secrecy, shame, and silence surrounded us. 

In our family, Mom and Dad were more interested in training us how to use our manners, how to work hard and how to get along with each other. Educating us about our emotions did not make it onto the agenda. Yet, most of my siblings and I have found ways to educate ourselves in this area.

  We know how to self-regulate ourselves, curb our impulses, and choose thoughtful and respectful responses.  

Dramatic, soft hearted, driven, passionate, elusive, creative, opinionated, merciful, and confrontational describes, in part, some of the qualities possessed by my siblings and me. No two of us are the same. We’ve grown to appreciate the differences among us. 

Recognizing that we are blessed by our siblings does not happen naturally over time. If it did, then every family could say that they’ve been blessed by their siblings. But, I know for a fact that not every family says that.

Recognizing that we can receive blessings from our siblings begins with forming respectful and trusting relationships as we spend time with them. 

I am closer geographically and emotionally to some of my siblings more than others. But they’ve all reached out at different times to help me when I’ve needed them. 

Why Bother? 

Why bother recognizing the blessings from siblings? Recognizing the blessings that come from our siblings enriches the bonds we started with.