UA&P I AM S.T.R.O.N.G. : Sibling Relationship

By: Sara Badr

Growing up with two brothers and no sister is tough. As a kid, I thought of my brothers as my role models, by the way they dress, walk, act and talk. At the same time, I felt I didn’t belong.


I had to face the fact that I was not like my brothers and I didn’t belong to their “circle”. They made sure that I knew that should be hanging out with girls and not with them. Even so, this never stopped us from playing together at home. My eldest brother would always be the initiator and the mediator of a crazy game or activity and my other brother and I were always game for it. I realized then that boys are really fun to have around, especially if they’re your brothers.

However, it was really difficult for me growing up without having someone to understand me as a girl other than my mom. I needed someone like one of my peers. I wanted a sister. I knew back then that I wasn’t getting a sister any time soon. So, I settled for my friends, my brothers and my mom as “peer” counselors.

Upon reaching high school, my brothers and I were getting more mature and into the same kind of interests (not completely). My older brother and I got closer. He would share to me his stories of his past girls, his crushes, etc. Those “sharing” times were and are moments that I will always treasure. Him being one year apart from me served and serves as my buddy, and at the same time, my arch nemesis (sometimes). I guess it’s like that for some people, the closer your gap is the more likely you’d quarrel a lot. My eldest brother, on the other hand, served and still serves as the disciplinarian, peer counselor and friend among the siblings. He makes sure that we know our responsibilities and we do them.

I didn’t know how to relate with my brothers back then. But as I opened up and the lesser I forced myself to fit in, the more I was understood and “accepted” by them. Sometimes, if you want to get close with your siblings, you have to know them more, but you shouldn’t seem like you’re trying too hard. Let them come to you and let yourself in, naturally. That’s how I did it and it turned out well.

How about you? did you get close to your siblings? Or are you?