I have one sister who is also single. She is about two years younger than me. Over the years, we have both lived in our parents’ house together, or apart in different apartments (currently, we are back together).
I try not to take for granted that I have a built-in companion who “gets it,” and we give each other a lot of space. We like to spend time together but also do our own things. It feels like we have a good balance.
She is an amazing, sensitive and caring sister, and I am so grateful for her. We have a close relationship and we can talk to each other about work, dating/not dating, family things, friends, etc. We try to be supportive of each other and recognize that though our experiences look similar on the outside, we are two people having different experiences and we need different things by way of support. We have different personalities, styles, and interests, and we need two different kinds of guys (in case you were curious about that!) We also have different skillsets and I don’t know what I would do without her. She helps me with my hair and always does the driving and knows how to whip up a delicious meal out of anything in the house. She tolerates me (to a point) when I insist on reading a paragraph aloud or sharing a piece of advice from a podcast I am listening to. Some people see our sisterly resemblance but we don’t (lol).
A few times over the years when my sister was dating, I did have a hard time with the thought that she may get engaged and married before I do. Still, because of what we experienced together when our younger-est sister got engaged, and because of the maturity in our relationship at this point, I have an easier time with this prospect than I would have had a few years ago.
I think ultimately my relationship with my sister is a reflection of my evolution as a person.
I’m wondering if you have a single sister (or more than one) and what navigating that relationship is like for you.
(Photo credit: Karola G/Pexels)
Wow, this was beautiful to read. I am close with all my siblings, so it was so nice to hear about you and your sister’s relationship. My youngest sister is 10 years younger than me and will begin dating in the next couple of years. I have already begun mentally working on how that would be and what it would feel like for me. Even if I get married before her (iyH!), there is still a lot of grief and adjustment to not being “10 years ahead” of her. It is something I have been thinking about a lot recently and really wish to shake (not just with my sister, but with all comparisons)- I REALLY don’t want to spend the rest of my life feeling behind or calculating years
Thank you for sharing – I really relate to the impulse to compare. Over time, what’s helped me is to keep reminding myself that every person is on their own journey. We don’t write our own stories. We are all here to do what we are meant to do and that looks different for different people. Thinking of you, I hope it helped a little to read this.