Siblings

  

   “Each of two or more children or offspring having one or both parents in common, a brother or sister.”  That may sound like an awkward definition of your brother or sister but that’s the way it is stated in the dictionary.   I think we all have our own definitions to define our relationships with our brothers and sisters.  Some of them may not be very nice, but nevertheless, they define for us that relationship.  We may also realize that our definition may change over time.  Those who were the most annoying to us as we were growing up may now be the closest to us.

     We all have our own memories of experiences within our lives where that ONE brother or sister always made things very difficult for us.  Or, at least, that was our thoughts at the time.  We may remember things about our siblings that they don’t.  It is probably because to them it was “no big thing.”  To us, we might have felt that our life was coming to an end!

     There were times we would find fault with them, argue with them, fight with them, and do about anything else we can think of.  But let someone “outside” our family framework say something about them or do something to them and we would be right there to correct that situation as soon as we could!  It reminds me of the 1988 movie with Danny DeVito and Arnold  Schwarzenegger, “TWINS”.  The basis of the movie contrasts the streetwise Vincent (DeVito) with the intelligent but naïve Julius (Schwarzenegger).  In one scene where “the bad guys” are coming after Vincent, his “twin” Julius steps in and physically prevents this from happening.  Vincent steps in with the comment: “You mess with me you mess with my whole family!”  And that pretty well explains the sibling relationship.  It’s that old saying: “Blood is thicker than water.”

     As we grow, we tend to go in our separate ways.  Often, like our own children, our siblings may do things or choose a way of life that does not agree with our personal point of view.  However, they are still our sibling.  We love them for who they are and not necessarily for what they do.  We all make certain choices within our lives.  There are perhaps choices we have made that our siblings don’t like about us.  When it comes down to the “bottom line”:  You can pick your job, you can pick your location of residence, you can pick your friends, you can even pick your nose!  But you CAN’T pick your siblings!  That’s just the way it is.  Sometimes you simply play the hand that was dealt to you and do the best you can.  Besides We’re Only Human!

QUOTE TO CONSIDER

THOUGHTFUL GEM

"You can not be the sibling
of an only child."