In honor of the passing of National Siblings Day, this article is for those who don't have relationships with their siblings worth celebrating. I, for one, refused to celebrate or acknowledge the day, because I knew my brother would be doing the same.
Having a brother or sister can be one of the best, or worst, things to happen to you. I thought having a sibling would be like the media portrays it: you disagree at times, but in the end, you always have each other's backs. My life isn't a sit-com, and I dislike my brother. We are two and a half years apart and we clash in almost every possible way.
Don't get me wrong, the tension between my brother and I wasn't always this bad. We used to get along so well; my mother would refer to us as an "old married couple," much to our dismay. We would spend all our time after school together or over the summer, playing our made up games with our vast imaginations. I never would have imagined things between us would have changed so much by now.
I can't exactly pinpoint where it all went downhill, but it was somewhere near when I was starting high school. We were getting older and what had once been innocent teasing turned into harsh stabs at the other's insecurities. His insults and rude names were replacing the physical brawls from every now and again. Prior to that, things would always be patched up. It didn't seem like it anymore.
As my brother and I aged, our personalities went in opposite directions. We were no longer able to relate to the other, and it was cause of many of our disagreements. Our interests weren't the same anymore; we were on two different ends of the spectrum. He was embarrassed of me. I was embarrassed all of my friends had close relationships with their siblings, and he wouldn't even let me follow him on social media.
I'm tired of hearing people tell me we'll get along someday, because I don't think it always ends up working that way or that "you love them no matter what," because it's not true. Everyone's situations are different and some people never end up reconciling their differences. My brother and I have caused too much damage to ever fully reconcile, but maybe someday we'll be civil with one another. Right now, it doesn't seem likely, but time can change things.
For those of you who have solid relationships with your siblings, don't take them for granted and consider yourself lucky. In my case, I only have one sibling, so I don't have another chance. Try to patch anything up while you still can because it's not too late until one gives up on the other.
