By Anonymous
Sometimes your closest friends
are family.
Throughout our lives, we form bonds:
familial, friendships, partnerships. Some last and some don’t. In the book
of Ecclesiastes, King Solomon reminds us that relationships are a source
of support, comfort, and strength, for “a threefold cord is not quickly
broken.” Sibling relationships are especially important. They
can be our longest-lasting family tie, our true partners for life, but only if
we nurture the relationship.
At first blush, it might seem like
there are thousands of things you need to do in order to maintain a tight bond
with your siblings. But the truth is we formed our bonds in childhood and only
need a few ways to secure these lasting bonds.
1.
Stay Connected
It would be a shame to arrive at our
destination only to find out that our most important relationships have drifted
away. Unless we nurture our relationships with our siblings, our bonds will
loosen and we will grow apart. If visiting is not possible, embrace technology.
Don’t just rely on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to keep track of your
siblings doings. Follow up, send a text letting them know you are thinking of
them, or email a funny reminder of something from childhood. Acknowledge each
other’s milestones and family events by sending ecards, text, or gifts.
Schedule time to chat through Skype. All these little ways that we
reach out keep the lines of communication open so that trust and intimacy can
take root.
2.
Skip Down Memory Lane
We also nurture our relationships by
remembering the past. As we travel through life we often don’t get the
opportunity to sail back through memory lane. However, there is a wealth of
connection and insight stored in our childhood. Pull out the family albums and
dig through the attic. If time and resources permit, plan a sibling
vacation to a favorite family vacation spot. Allow the sights, sounds and
smells to bring back the laughter and the tears. By revisiting the past, we can
strengthen the knots that bond us in our childhood.
3.
Cast A Line
Another key way to build intimacy with
our siblings is to cast a line out and let ourselves be known and seen for who
we are becoming. Reach out to your siblings and let yourself be
known. The more we are vulnerable about the changes, trial, and
tribulations in our lives, the more we invite our siblings to share their fears
and hopes like they did when we were children. Welcome your siblings’ struggles
with words of encouragement and offers of help. Your siblings will appreciate
your concern. Knowing that our brothers/sisters can hold our fears and hopes
without judgement provides us a solid base of support, safety and comfort.
Siblings become the dock that we can tie ourselves to temper the storms
of life.
As we sail through life exploring and
creating new bonds, let us not forget that our siblings hold the key to our
core identity. During the trials and tribulations of growing up and the
shared experiences, we developed knots that tethered us to our sisters and brothers
in a way that no other relationship can. Now, we can continue to reap the
rewards by staying connected,
By practicing these three ways to
secure knots with our siblings, we will always have a companion at our side.
Cheers!
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