13 Apr 2020

Growing up with siblings is... character building to say the least. "Please, don't tell Mum" is a shared mantra, you rip into each other at any opportunity, get bothered by the pettiest acts and steal each others stuff. And you know everything about each other and know exactly what makes the other tick.

No one will understand you the way a sibling does, and no one will experience these seven things unless they have a sibling.

 

1. Comparison

"You both look so alike!" Oh really! That is brand new information! *Eye roll*.

Sibling comparisons are like no other. If you're younger, your teachers will judge you immediately from how your older siblings acted. I, unfortunately, was a devil in the classroom, therefore, my little brother was immediately shunned by teachers... oops.

You'll always be compared to one another, in looks, talents, hobbies, grades... sometimes a little competition or jealousy might arise, but you'll both have your separate strengths and weaknesses.

2. The irk

The irk can latch onto you at any minute. What is the irk you may ask? It's that irking feeling you get when your sibling is annoying you by merely breathing next to you. You're around them allllll the time and sometimes, they just bother you out of the blue. 

The irk would always come to me tenfold when my brother would chew with his mouth open. DISGUSTING! I would then rip into him, he'd get offended, and in no time we're fighting yet again. Classic, wholesome times.

3. Fighting

The art of sibling war. You've got your silent threats, throwing daggers through eyes if you're around your parents, classic blackmail that creates a Cold War scenario that goes along the lines of "I know that you swiped that $20 from Mum's wallet 4 years ago." But the crescendo is the your verbal abuse that can then heat up to the big finale- the wrestle.

My brother and I never held back. If I so much as took a bite from his chocolate bar, it was war. We'd wrestle to the death, bruises forming. If our parents came in to see what the ruckus was, we'd pretend to be best mates and then continue the fight as soon as they were gone. 

Oh, I miss the days of having to lean my body weight against my bedroom door to stop my brother from storming in and beating me to a pulp. Fabulous times.

4. Shared language

Siblings share a language. Looks, laughs and gestures speak louder than words. You can secretly raise your eyebrows around family members without uttering a sound, saying: "hjeez Aunty G is annoying" or threaten each other for an upcoming battle with just a look. 

You know when your sibling is feeling down and a lot of the time, you're the only one that can make them feel better. 

5. Borrowing

Being caught borrowing a siblings stuff will leave you paralysed with shock. If my brother was caught with any of my stuff, he'd plead: "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!!!" 

"Is nothing sacred anymore? Can my stuff not just stay my stuff?!" I would scream.

I still label everything in the fridge 'DO NOT EAT' so my brother doesn't take it without thinking.

6. You know everything about them

Sibling A: "Can you make me toast?"

Sibling B: "I'm not your slave."

Sibling A: "Six years ago, I did your maths homework. You owe me".

Siblings know everything about you and remember every little detail. They know your wackiest, weirdest phases and obsessions. It's probably because they read your diary or overheard you talking on the phone to your friends. And they definitely remember everything you owe them.

You know what makes them happy, annoyed, scared, angry. You know their likes and dislikes, their favourite foods, movies and books. You know their deepest, darkest secrets and dreams. Not many other people will understand you the way your sibling does.

7. You'll love them, through everything

No matter how many times my brother and I would watch a movie and he'd point out the ugliest character, saying "that's you," the love is unconditional. 

No matter how many pranks he'd pull or how many times he blamed me for things he did, I still love my little bro.

Having siblings means you shared a youth together! Learning, growing and finding your feet in the world, together. It's the most wholesome relationship on the planet, no matter how many punch ups you share.