When we were young, we pretended we could rule the world.
Ever since I can remember, my sister and I have always gotten along. For hours, we used to play games, build Legos, create fantasy worlds and develop complex storylines for imaginary characters. We were spies, secret agents; we were treasure hunters and superheroes. But throughout all of this, there was something we always were, despite how we might’ve embellished it. We were best friends.
Sometimes, it’s weird to think about your sibling as being your friend. It mostly just depends on the type of relationship you have. For some, it might be easy because you share so much in common; or maybe because you’re together all the time. For others, it is more difficult. Some siblings do not get along at all. They fight, insult one another, beat each other up with words and closed fists. Some do not speak; some were never given the ability to speak. Some don’t even know one another.
I have always thought of my relationship with my sister to be a blessing. However, as time has moved on and we have grown older, we have become more distant. Different things have gotten in the way. She’ll go out with her boyfriend, have friends over, or be busy with school work. Or, in my case, it is a matter of my absence of being at home. I find myself occupying my time with close friends, and am kept away from home late due to work. For a while, we became just a face to pass in the hallway, or someone to say goodnight to because it is the first word we’ve spoken all day. We don’t have the time to pretend anymore; maturity has killed our playful minds. Now, we have to come out of the storybook world and enter into the real one. Separately.
Your sibling should be one of the most trusting and reliable people you will come to know in your life. They should be someone you can be honest with, talk to, and come to in a time of need. They were not placed into our lives to be a burden; they are here so that we can learn from them, and that they might learn from us, too. Although your worst enemy at times, they can be your biggest supporter, a role model, and a best friend. Some people use that phrase too lightly. But, to me, a best friend is a lifetime thing. A friendship is not an open invitation for people to walk in and out. We form friendships out of love and consideration for that other person. That doesn’t get washed away; it stains our lives in the form of memories meant to shape us, impact us. For all my life, I’ve grown up just down the hall from my own best friend. The person that knows me most, has experienced life in the same ways I have, knows my deepest fears and most of my secrets, and never once bothers to turn the other way. The person I look up to in faith, aspire to be more like, and know I can run to when no one else is around. It’s time that I embrace that, that we embrace this idea that our siblings are more than just a familiar face. Maybe, it’s time to make amends, reestablish bonds, or simply reminisce on memories of the past.
Whatever it may look like, it’s time we loved them, because all they’ve wanted is to be loved by us.
As you head to college this week, know that we won’t lose touch. Your room might be gone––well, not gone, just not yours anymore. Although we are growing up and growing apart, we’ve grown so much young. For that, I am forever thankful. But now, it’s time for us to abandon our duties in the Animal C.I.A. and face the responsibilities of the real world. You’re going to do incredible things. I know it.
