Siblings. Sometimes we like them, sometimes we don't.
Sometimes we forget they exist and sometimes we wish we could. It can feel as though they are either our greatest enemy or our greatest ally in life—and sometimes both depending on the day.
April 10th is National Sibling Day! It's a day similar to Mother's Day or Father's day, that invites us to celebrate the unique bond with our siblings. While sibling relationships are not always as 'picture-perfect' or 'harmonious' as appear in film, TV, and social media—that's what makes them so great to have and a reason to celebrate. Sibling relationships are as diverse and ever-changing as the people they're with. They give us a bond that goes deeper than any other—no matter if we're fully blood-related, partially or legally related, or simply 'honorary' soul-siblings. In honor of National Sibling Day, I invited my fellow tutors at the Reading and Writing Center so share their siblings and their unique experiences.
Photos of the following siblings can be found
in our magazine layout of April Paper Jam.
Yuritza N.
"My brother and I are three and a half years apart, so we have a small-ish age difference. When we were kids, we used to fight all the time. As we got older we started getting closer to each other and now I am the only person he listens to. Even when my parents want to talk to my brother about something, they usually tell me to talk to him because he listens to me more. I like to have someone who has been living life from a similar point of view, and since we are close in age we have many common interests in music and TV shows."
Hannah K.
"My sister and I fought A LOT when we were younger, but now we are chill. I also think it's interesting how different we are. Personality-wise, we don't seem a lot like sisters.:) "
Annie B.
"Me and my older sister Melissa are 3 years apart in age and we're really close. She's extroverted and friendly and I'm more introverted and shy; we're opposites but we get along well. I see her as a best friend and role model.
Me and my younger brother Chris, however, aren't really that close. We're 7 years apart and I honestly forget to mention him sometimes when I discuss my siblings. I have friends I've known for years barely find out I have a brother because I just hardly ever talk about him. I know this sounds bad but I promise that despite all this, including our age gap and gender difference, he's still fun to have around. :,) <3 "
Monte B.
"I'm the youngest of 7. My relationship with my half-brothers is nonexistent and my 2 sisters and I are pretty close. For years, we thought my sister, Mandie, was a half-sibling and didn't know who the dad was.A few years ago, she took a DNA test on a whim and found out she is also my father's daughter and my full-blooded sister."
Hannah L.
"My brother and I are 18 months apart—and he is one of my favorite people in the world. Growing up, we were pretty much always in the same place together; when he was with our mom, I was with our mom, and when I was with our dad, he was with our dad. Until I turned 18, the longest time we spent apart was about 3 months when we stayed with different parents for the summer. When I was 16-17 years old, I was going through a really hard period in my life and my brother was there for me... Right before I turned 18, I moved away to live with my dad, and since then we've only seen each other during the times I've come to visit; it's really hard because I'm really close to him and love him so much, and it really sucks that we can't spend more time together."
Iman A.
"I am the youngest out of 3 older siblings: two older sisters and one older brother. The smallest age gap is between me and my older brother which is 6 years apart--so it's safe to say that there's a big age gap between my siblings and I. (The age gap between my oldest sister is 10 years and my second oldest sister is 9 years).
As a kid, I was constantly being trolled by my older brother; he loved to get a rise out of me and make me mad. However, he never failed to make me laugh with his weird antics. My older sisters felt more like second moms to me, it wasn't until I got much older I began to look at my sisters more like sisters and less like a mom. In the last 5 years or so, however, I've began to feel a more closer relationship with my siblings as I'm entering my early adult years and it's finally something that we can relate to."
Rosa C.
"Growing up with a twin is a very unique experience. It's usually one that only other twins can fully relate to, and even then, ours is even more of a unique case because of how completely opposite my sister Lupe and I appear (an ironic twist considering our twin status). Over the years, we've shared pretty much everything ranging from gifts, rooms, friends, food, our parents, and of course, the womb.
It took a long and tedious time for us to get to our current level of comfort and trust. Now, however, we're easily each other's best friend and we share similar interests for almost everything. After all the character development we've been through together, I wouldn't trade her for the world. She's easily my other (and sometimes, better) half :) "