Did you know that today is National Siblings Day?
I didn’t until I saw a post on Facebook a few hours ago. Well, that solved the “what am I going to blog about today question?” And just for the record, I don’t have to blog towards midnight, it just seems to work out that way, I think about things during the day, then something comes up and I’m off doing something else and then it’s about 10 and I remember, it’s time to blog.
Back to siblings. Siblings are great, some are born together, some are from the same parents, some are from different parents, some aren’t even from the same parents at all, then there’s brother from another mother, ha ha.
I know there are people out there who don’t have siblings and can’t imagine life with one, take away from their time, their relationship with their parents and then there are some who have multiple siblings and wish they were only children! Even kids like myself, with one sibling, at one time or another wished they were only children!
When you’re kids, it’s a hard lesson when you find out, your younger sibling isn’t going anywhere, they at there for the long haul, you can’t give them away, hide them or sell them, oh well. I myself, found out at one point that I despised my sister, I was getting headaches, the rocks were clanging in my head, couldn’t see the blackboard, all at the same time, I needed glasses and she was there to stay, so deal with it!
On the other hand, I remember when my mom was pregnant with my sister, GES, everyone asked what I wanted, a sister I said proudly! Then I used to tell her she should be lucky, I could have asked for a brother! I remember the ride home from the hospital, I say in the back seat of the green beetle bug (see, beetle love started very early for me!) with my mom, holding my new baby sister in my lap all the way home! There is a great picture of me getting to hold her on my parents bed, I look at it now and it’s like it was yesterday. (ok, GES, I am tearing up as we speak, man, we have turned into mommy!)
I was a few months shy of being four years old when she was born and I knew I was in for a treat, my best friend for life. Don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t all perfect, there were times I tried to leave her behind when friends would come to play, but there were never two more steadfast friends, confidants and conspirators than us. During the summer, there weren’t other kids to play with, so it was us, we shared a room at the summer house and it was great. We’d bike to the library, when we were old enough to go alone, we’d bike to the beach, I still remember holding on to the bike while roller blading, that didn’t end well!
We fought like cats and dogs and we could say horrible things to each other, but no one better say anything against my sister, you have me to deal with. And that’s the way it should be!
My favorite things she would yell at me when she was little…”D, you’re getting on my nervous!”
One of the great things about having a sibling that I wish everyone could experience and realize is that you now have a best friend for life, never take that for granted. I don’t know what my life wold have been like as an only child, glad I never had to find out!
As we got older, I remember my clothes going missing, someone going through my things, borrowing without asking, seeming like she got everything (we all have a flair for the dramatic at that age!)and being annoyed, but inside, so flattered! I left my army jacket when I went to college, I wonder what happened to it! I was at my sister’s house a few weeks ago, the sheets for the bed I was using? My first set of sheets from my college dorm room. I used to type her papers when she was in high school and wrap all the presents. I’m sure she could have done all that, and if she just did it because she wanted her big sister to help, I never complained.
I remember giving her my drivers license when I moved to GA, a friend of hers ended up using it, looked more like me than she did! But people were always telling us we looked alike, our mom had trouble telling our baby photos apart!
I remember little siblings weekend, when she came to stay with me my freshman year, getting to show her off, introduce her to everyone and then visiting her when she was in college, so proud hearing from people how great she was, some things never change!
As we’ve gotten older and grown apart logistically, we still remain steadfast friends and companions and conspirators. We realized we’re maturing, well, sometimes, when we can go more than 4 days without having a fight when we’re together, oh, it used to be 1day, maybe 2 if we were lucky!
We cook together, what feast we put on for Passover! (Shhh…don’t tell the vegans and vegetarians that I will taste most of what we cook, just a taste, I still remember what’s grandma and mommy’s chicken soup tasted like!). We work so well together and then when it’s all said and done, we sit down across from each other, prop our feet in each others laps and rub rub rub!
We laugh together, we cry together, we watch really bad TV together. What more could you want? One of the best things, I am getting to watch my sister become a wife and a mother and we far as mothers go, what a great one! I’m at every birthday, help plan and set them up, when I can, sometimes even channeling her when talking to her kids. I get to read night night books, stifle laughs when there is a tantrum (the kids, not her!) and get to marvel at what a fantastic job she has done with her kids, someone everyone could look up to. And I love those times when she lets go, doesn’t take herself too seriously and laughs at herself, well, I can’t laugh at her alone!
We may not see each other or talk on the phone other very often, but the time we do get is special and I value and treasure it. I know a lot of time when she texts “FaceTime?” It’s because of my nieces, but I still get to see my sister and I love that. She has been there for me through some tough times and I appreciate her so much for that and even better when she gets riled up on my behalf!
So, as it is National Siblings Day, I would like to give a big hello, a giant hug, huge smile and a whole lotta love to my baby sister, GES. I love you.
Peaches Prattlings 