Siblings…Who Needs ‘Em?

by Samantha on March 9, 2010

Siblings

Today, there are over 14 million only children in the United States, and I am one of them. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, that’s about 20% of all kids. Some of my friends are also part of that group, and some are not.  There are definitely pros and cons to being an only child. I count independence, sense of self, and a close relationship with my parents among the pros. Lonely play time and bearing the weight of family issues alone are a couple of the major cons. Although I never experienced sibling dynamics firsthand, I’ve watched the relationships my parents and friends have had with their siblings for many years.

Just like the existence of siblings at all, there are positives and negatives to number of siblings, gender, age difference, etc . My mom is the middle child, with two brothers. I’ve heard horror stories from childhood of decapitated dolls and endless teasing. But, I also know that my grandparents didn’t do much to stop either one of those activities. As an adult, my mom’s relationship with her brothers has been much like a roller coaster. There have been many times when I have shaken my head in disbelief at the lack of appreciation they show for her and for one another. If only they knew how lucky they are to have one another.  I know that some issues run deep, but at the end of the day, there’s still love there somewhere.  That said, I have to give my uncles props. Since my mom got sick, they have been nothing but supportive.

On the other end of the spectrum, my dad and his brother have always been pretty close. They’re only a few years apart, and they chose the same career. Although they have pretty different personalities, they can relate to each other well. Coincidentally, they both ended up having only children less than a year apart, and their ability to relate to one another was passed along to me and my cousin Adam. It’s not surprising that I am closer with this aunt and uncle than I am with the others.

There are days when I think, siblings…who needs ‘em? And there are other days when I would give nothing more than to have someone with whom I could share the good and the bad.  I’ve always had friends and a big imagination, so I’ve rarely felt alone. But, I’d be lying if I said that I never wondered what life would be like with siblings.

Do you have siblings? How far apart in age are you? Are you close? How has your relationship with them evolved as you’ve gotten older?

Photo Credit

Hi there! So happy to see you here again! Haven't gotten your fill of life's chocolates? Subscribe to my RSS feed, and check out the Connect page to see where you can find me around the Web! Thanks for reading!

{ 12 comments }

Why Different is a Good Thing When It Comes to Friendship

March 5, 2010
Thumbnail image for Why Different is a Good Thing When It Comes to Friendship

I have a confession to make. My current guilty pleasure TV show is My Life As Liz on MTV. Yes, it’s corny, and who knows if any of it is actually real, but I keep watching anyway. And ya know, it’s a good thing too, because that show is the inspiration for this blog post.
Here’s [...]

Read the full article →

Love, Just Love

March 1, 2010
Thumbnail image for Love, Just Love

Love, just love. I implore you. I want to shout it from the rooftops, tell everyone to let love in and give it out! Express it however you can…
[Xs and Os.  Mad love to your boys.  Luv ya!  Smooches. I love you man. Heart u]
No excuses. Don’t put it off until later, stop worrying what [...]

Read the full article →

What Do Social Action, Muppets & Pro Football Players Have in Common?

February 26, 2010
Thumbnail image for What Do Social Action, Muppets & Pro Football Players Have in Common?

Me! How could I be the common thread between these three very different things, you ask? Each of them represents one of the internships I had in college, three very different experiences that taught me many important lessons I could never have learned in a classroom.
Social Action
The summer after my sophomore year of college, I [...]

Read the full article →

Stressed? Click Here!

February 24, 2010
Thumbnail image for Stressed? Click Here!

Stress is defined as physical, mental, or emotional strain or tension. It’s something we will all face many times in our lives. It can be triggered by something small, and disappear as quickly as it came. But, sometimes it’s something more significant that stays in the back of our minds for a long time. There’s [...]

Read the full article →

The Power of Smiling

February 22, 2010
Thumbnail image for The Power of Smiling

One of my favorite movie quotes is from Will Ferrell in Elf, “I just like to smile. Smiling’s my favorite.” Personally, I’m a big fan of smiling, and I hate that I haven’t been doing it as much as I would like. There’s been too much sadness, nervousness and worry in my life recently. I [...]

Read the full article →

Today, I Am Grateful For…

February 18, 2010
Thumbnail image for Today, I Am Grateful For…

One of my favorite posts from the Appreciation Revolution series, was Grace Boyle’s The Gratitude List. It was all about taking the time to write down the things you’re grateful for, instead of just thinking about them, or forgetting about them altogether.  Today, we’re going to have a community gratitude list. If it goes well, [...]

Read the full article →

I Need a Big Fast Forward Button

February 17, 2010
Thumbnail image for I Need a Big Fast Forward Button

Helplessness is one of the worst feelings in the world. Seeing someone you love in pain and not being able to do a thing to make it better is excruciating.  You try to be logical and remind yourself that there are certain things that are beyond your control, and this is one of them, but it [...]

Read the full article →

Some Chocolaty News For You

February 15, 2010
Thumbnail image for Some Chocolaty News For You

Since I have the day off from work today, I thought it would be a good time to share some news about what’s been going on around here, and what I’m looking forward to in the weeks to come:

Exciting Blog News: So far this month, I’ve seen a rise in subscribers and page views! I [...]

Read the full article →