Sunday was National Sibling Day.
What it is about the word “sibling”?? I don’t like it. It doesn’t strike me as familial and warm. It sounds more detached and stilted.
Like some sort of a mutant fish living at the bottom of the ocean’s largely uncharted Mariana Trench:
Fisherman off the coast of Guam today, discovered the body of a ghastly looking sea creature tangled in their nets. Scientists say it’s the rarely seen deep sea cucumber known as the “SIBLING.”
Or maybe a twig off of the branch of physics known as quantum theory:
Stephen Hawking today will be lecturing on the inexplicable quantity of SIBLING photoelectron effects.”
Whatever you call them. They’re those people you teased, fought and played with as you grew up. You may share good and/or bad childhood memories with them. Campfire songs. Parents hugging. Perhaps parents fighting. Christmas. Hanukkah. Ramadan. Whatever.
You may have grown up and grown apart. Physically and/or emotionally. Hopefully you have managed to maintain at least the latter connection.
Life is busy and hectic and sometimes it takes an official day on a calendar to remind me to stop and say thank you to a few of the most influential people in my life. Then and Now. My brother, Brad and my sister, Andrea. (yep, that’s them above and below – with mom and dad and me – missing my two front teeth.)
So, as much as I don’t like that clunky word, “sibling,” I am ever so grateful that I can call them a word I feel that does sound appropriately gracious and genial.
While we’re on the topic, I am extremely grateful for the other incredible people in my life who may not be biologically my siblings and who may not be able to recite all the words to John Denver’s song, “Grandma’s Feather Bed” like Andrea and Brad can – but who, through their laughter, listening, encouragement (and sometimes wine), can certainly be classified with that word that goes much deeper than the ocean and cannot be dissected by even the top quantum scientist.
So, to all of you out there as I have grown up and away from Indiana, to Florida, Washington, Atlanta, Cairo, Bucharest, Paris, Arezzo and now here in Cork, Ireland: A hearty and heart-felt thank you to each of you I am proud to call much more than the word “sibling” – but as “friends.”
In gratitude,
Gina
