One of my favorite childhood memories is when my brother decided to drag me across the carpeted gymnasium at church in front of his friends. That was fun. Kidding. That was horrible, and I had the carpet burns to prove it. But, I get it, he was trying to be manly at the time…or something. Being 5 years my senior, there really wasn’t much rivalry there. No, it was more of a dictatorship. Older brother always wins against 3 younger sisters.
Last photo of all of us together in 2009
And, my youngest sister is 8 years younger than me (she’s in the middle there), so we didn’t fight over too much either, except about how much she wanted me to stop being her second mother. Yep. Guilty as charged.
But, my sister, Lindsey is a whole other story. I’ve blogged about some of our shenanigans before. But, when I think about my childhood, there is pretty much no memory there without her in it. And, to this day, if something happens to me: good, bad, or trivial, she’s the first person I want to talk to about it.
But, it wasn’t all love and friendship growing up. No. Sibling rivalry was real. We were two years apart in school, and I think back to all the fights (because there were a LOT of them) and it’s really impossible to pick just one to sum up an entire childhood of memories. But, I know this, even though I’m the older one, she’s always been the leader.
She got her period before me. She kissed a boy before me. Got married before me. Had a kid before me. She does everything before me…and maybe that’s how some of the rivalry came about. But, I think mostly, when you have two siblings, both girls, and they’re that close in age. Well, rivalries will happen. Ours were never about boys, but were pretty much always about clothes. And, how cruel I was to her as the older sister. In a way, it makes me sad that I didn’t realize what I had in a little sister until we had both moved out of the house and started young adulthood, but I guess that’s life with a sister. It’s impossible to be best friends forever. Friends from high school are always amazed to hear we are so close now. That we not only love each other, but we like each other. There were a few years in there during high school where things didn’t go so well. That’s all I will say about that.
And, although we don’t really compete on much these days anymore, there is still plenty of sass left in our relationship.
For example…..
I was reading the post today by Mommy, for real about The Importance of Family Traditions, and a memory came flooding back. A memory of a favorite childhood book of mine. The Secret Garden. I left a comment on her blog telling her how much I loved that book and might have to buy a copy for my daughter when it hit me. I used to own a very nice copy of that book. Where was it?
I remembered that it was green, with beautiful pictures. Hardback and had a pretty ribbon bookmark to keep your place. I loved that book. Since Lindsey was more of the greedy book hoarder, it was one of the few books from childhood that I knew was mine. I treasured that book, and read it more than once. As a little girl, it was pure magic. And, as soon as I remembered that book, I knew who had it.
Lindsey.
So, I picked up the phone, preparing myself for a fight. “Do you possibly have a hardback, green copy of The Secret Garden. If you do, I know it’s mine.”
She was addressing Christmas cards at the moment and probably in a licking envelope haze, “Umm. I don’t think so”.
I started again, “Well, I know it’s mine because I remember getting it as a present. It had a pretty bookmark in the middle, green, hardback….”
“Actually, that sounds like something I have seen around here”, she said.
“I knew it!! Will you look for it for me? I really want Avery to have it. I think she’ll love it.” I say.
Still probably not convinced the book is even mine she says, “Not right now.”
“Fine. But, will you look for it soon? I’m thinking if you do have it, I’ll wrap it when I get there and give it to her for Christmas!” I say excited.
Sigh “OK, I’m getting up to look right now”.
5 seconds later….”Oh yeah, here it is. It’s right here in my bedroom”, she said nonchalantly.
????
“Yay! I KNEW if anyone still had it, you would have it!”
“Well, it says in here, ‘Property of Meredith Parker’ so I’m not sure it’s yours”, she says sarcastically.
I laugh, “Well, I guess you can’t claim it’s really your book then, can you?” I retort in my brattiest voice possible. “I swear, I’m going to look through all your books when I’m there. I’m sure you have other childhood things of mine too!”
“I don’t have any of your stuff! What are you talking about?” she says defensively.
“Well, you took all my stuff when I left on my mission and I never got it back!!” I say.
“What stuff!!???” she says indignantly.
“Like all of my CDs you took. I never saw those again because they got stolen out of your car!!”
“Well, that wasn’t really my fault was it, whore face” (We’re loving like that)
I laughed, “Well, I’m going to look around while I’m there just to see what other stuff of mine you have.”
“I’m going to wrap this up and put, ‘To: Avery From: Aunt Lindsey’ on it” she says.
“That will make sense since it has my name in it” I say and we both laugh.
Then, just a few minutes later, she posts this on Facebook with the caption:
“To Avery. Love, Aunt Lindsey. Beating your Mom at her own game”
I wrote: “Brat!!”
She responded: “You know I’m kidding. Or Am I? Wahahaha!”
I wrote: “Remember. I have a blog and I know how to use it.”
You see. Sibling rivalry is never dead. And, honestly, I hope it never will be.
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I’m linking this post up two places today….on two of my favorite blogs!
and
Oh this is just great! Not only do I love The Secret Garden but I have a sister. Our situations are reversed though as she is two years older than me. Gotta say that would be me wrapping the book and posting the pic on fb. Love it. Wonder if there’s anything lying around here that belongs to her …
Sisters are the best! And, I can’t wait to read the book again with my daughter. I don’t know if I have anything of hers….doubt it. 😉
OHMIGOSH! I completely totally love this.
I have a younger sister, and she was a NIGHTMARE growing up. We swore we hated one another and would always hate one another and would never, ever, EVER be friends.
But since we all moved out, we get along really well and she’s such a dear friend to me now. Though she still takes the chance to piss me off if she can. As I do her 🙂
Also, LOVE that you took the FTSF prompt and had an Actual In Fact For Real argument because of it. Kudos to you, Big Sis 😀
ha! I know. I was actually trying to think of a post for it, and then voila! Siblings (or children) can always give you good material.
Ohhh geez. I love how you have twisted this whole conversation to make it sound like I purposely stole your childhood memories and then tried to lie about it today. You’re always the more dramatic one. Hahahaha.
Was this or was it not almost exactly how the conversation happened? Feel free to correct me. :p
THIS is why I always wanted a sister. Someone who I can love even when they steal all my stuff. I swear, the amount of patience you must have to have a sibling of the same sex must be staggering.
I don’t know about that! I love her so much, it’s not that hard. 😉
Your sister sounds diabolical 🙂 I can totally relate to this.
Ha! She’s actually pretty amazing. 🙂
Cute story…like that you can call each other whoreface 🙂
Yep. That’s true love. 😉
The Secret Garden was one of my favourite books when I was a kid too! I can definitely relate to the sisterly relationship you described too. My next closest sister in age is almost seven years older than I am. She pretty much thought I was a pest the entire time we lived under the same roof, then suddenly, as soon as she moved out we became great friends have have just become closer and closer ever since. We are very, very different but I love her to bits. Sibling relationships are so complex (and funny!) aren’t they?
Totally! 🙂 Thanks for stopping by!
haha.. love it! My sister is 8yrs younger, so we had more of a ‘me parenting her’ relationship. I have an aunt that is a few years older than me and the crap she gave me and I gave her growing up.. So funny.. We are still close but without rivalry. I do remember threatening to tell my grandmother (her mother) about having a boyfriend over when she was babysitting if she didn’t let me stay up late! I won of course! Glad you and your sister still share a ‘vibrant’ relationship 🙂
Vibrant. Yes. 🙂
My sister and I prefer ho-bag but otherwise this relationship sounds pretty familiar. This weekend, she was going to travel the two hours to celebrate my son’s birthday and when I asked her when she would arrive, she replied “Non of your business!” Ah, sisters.
It’s so fun though, isn’t it???
Dang! Can’t believe she did that! Oh sisters. I’m the older one and we’re a year and a half apart. Growing up together was not fun unless endless emotional torture and fighting is considered fun. 🙂 But as adults, things are soooo much better. We both try to treat each other as a friend instead of a sister, because I sure as hell wouldn’t treat my friends the way I treat my lil sister!!
It’s OK! It was all done in fun! 🙂
I cannot express how much I loved this post! First, the picture is priceless! But the way you and your sister still harass each other is hilarious and I can totally relate! My sister and I will never stop teasing each other and giving each other a hard time. I feel like you were able to so fully represent your relationship with this writing (even though I don’t know you or your sister), but I think you painted such a vivid picture here. This was awesome!
Thanks!! Yes, we still give each other a hard time…but it really is all in fun! 🙂