You love them, you hate them, you fight with them, you cry with them, you live with them… or at least you used to. They are your siblings. Growing up with them for almost 18 years, you have taken for granted the fact that they have always been there, but now you are off to college and it is time to say goodbye. Choosing to go away for college means saying goodbye for the better part of the next four years.
Don’t lie... when you tell them, your friends, and parents, “you won’t miss them,” we all know you will.
Being apart is hard on relationships and you will start feeling that before you even leave. Picking fights with each other over insignificant things is code for, “I’m going to miss you, but I don’t know how to tell you.” This will probably be followed by an awkward goodbye because neither of you will admit how much you’ll miss each other. You’ll both be holding back tears and at some point, you will let them out. Trust me, it’s inevitable…
Once you’re away, you will fully immerse yourself in the college atmosphere; joining clubs, meeting more people than you can remember the names of, going to football games, and of course, going to parties. Soon enough, you will start to miss your siblings. You will start texting each other more frequently, setting aside time to call and FaceTime, and posting on each other’s timelines, counting down the days until you will be reunited.
Sending and receiving care packages will become a regular activity, providing your siblings with the supplies they will need to survive until they return home. Though the contents will mostly be food, sometimes you may find some surprises. Rather than always receiving double-stuffed Oreos, necessities may also be found, such as more underwear and socks (because you can never have too many) and disposable shot glasses (for obvious reasons). Your siblings want to make you feel loved even though they aren’t around. To express this, you are showered with presents. To acknowledge their love, you will send them shirts and other apparel from your school so they can represent wherever they go. They’ll always wear it because they are super proud of you and miss you.
School breaks will be bittersweet and have two extremes. You will be excited because it is going to be the first time you and your siblings will see each other since you left, but it also means you will have to say goodbye all over again. At least you have some time together to catch up and of course, argue like you never left.
You and your siblings might lose touch, and when you see pictures of them on social media doing fun things that you didn’t know about, you might feel left out. You’ll then call each other and talk on the phone for hours to fill each other in. This will become a regular cycle you willingly partake in.
Being apart is hard on the relationship between siblings. You might have mixed feelings about them not being there, ranging from missing them to being grateful for the fact they aren’t here with you. It's a new chapter in your relationship, one that you won't be prepared for until it actually happens. Although you are apart, you know it’s the best thing for each other. You will grow as individuals and learn how to survive without… even though you won’t want to.
