Siblings: A blessing and a curse. Having someone else who shares the same hectic home experiences with you most of the time can be great, it's nice knowing you're not the only one (I mean, come on). And having someone you can deeply relate to and someone one you can trust is all anyone could ever want. And then there are those times you wish you could lock them in a closet, or as oldest you should have remote control privileges or you just wish you could have two minutes of uninterrupted quiet. But regardless of how equally terrible and fantastic your sibling is, they are such an important part of shaping yourself and figuring out who you are.
When I was four I was thrust into the bond of sisterhood, and as dramatic as that sounds, it really was something that would change everything I knew. As you grow up the roles change. Going from playmates to rivals eventually to role models and then who knows what (not there yet). Now the role model part is very important. As someone who can barely get out of bed by noon and waits until the last possible second to do literally anything, being a positive role model isn't ideal for me. But as the eldest, dutifully you're the one expected to lead the way. This, I believe, not only is beneficial for the younger sibling but forces the older to look at what they're doing, to act more responsibly. So it is equally beneficial for both parties here.
The cliché phrase "you never know what you have 'til it's gone" really doesn't click until you're thinking that exact phrase missing someone/something you so obliviously took for granted. I recently was away from my sister for 5+ weeks and more than anything, this length of distance was a wake up call. I would find myself making two of everything I would make to eat, or excitedly pushing open my bedroom door to tell my sister something juicy. As mundane as these activities sound, I never realized how much her absence would affect our household setting. It never had occurred to me just how impactful her distance would be.
As siblings, at least in my experience perhaps not in all, there is an unspoken rule that you must act indifferent to the importance you hold to one another. There is not a lot of sharing as far as emotions go. As awful as that sounds, often times the closest/most important people in your life remain the least appreciated. It's so easy to go day to day never even pausing to realize that these people all around you won't be there forever. These people that build who you are are so vital and must be recognized as such.
Your siblings have been through it all with you, the highest highs and the lowest lows of your life thus far. They were there when you got that bad haircut or cried your eyes out (embarrassingly) at "The Notebook," they've seen you in your most vulnerable of times. And of course, equally they've been there to appreciate all your accomplishments. Because they have been there for you always. So, don't take them for granted; tell your brother or sister they are important, tell them you missed them.
