#HOWTO: Be friends with your siblings

Welcome to the GTG #HOWTO series! Throughout this series I'll be sharing 3-5 short, practical tips on, well, how to do something. Most of these tips are from personal experiences, but some will come from various outlets that I've found helpful and want to share with you all. I hope this series inspires, and gets shared with people who can really benefit from it! Now let's jump into the first installment:

#HOWTO BE FRIENDS WITH YOUR SIBLINGS

Ever wondered how siblings become friends? Does it happen overnight? When do the fights stop and the sentimental Flipagrams start? What if one of your siblings just can't get right? Today, my little sister, Aniya and I will be sharing our top 3 tips to becoming friends with your siblings.

#1. BE PATIENT: Everything does not come easy, especially when transitioning into a friendship with your siblings. So exercise patience!

Aniya: From the younger sisters perspective, your age gap between you and your sibling seems bigger when you're little, but once you reach those teen years, the gap gets smaller and smaller.

Imani: My little sister and I didn't really become friends until my senior year of high school and her 8th grade year in middle school.

Which isn't that long because I've known her for 14 years. When we started getting older, we began to genuinely like each other, so our friendship was more valuable than before.

#2. EMBRACE EACH OTHERS DIFFERENCES: Don't expect them to be JUST like you.

A: Growing up I was more of the crazy, outgoing kid. My sister was more laid-back and reserved. We obviously had two different personalities, that didn't seem to mix well. Kind of like oil and water.

I: Yet, in a way opposites attract. I think the friendship is more natural when you don't expect them to be exactly who you are. There's something unique about a friendship when the two people have opposing personalities.

#3. VALUE EACH MOMENT: Don't take the time you have with each other for granted.

A: Friends can be replaced, but when your sister is your best friend, there's a piece of you that leaves when she does. In the final months before her leaving for college, we had the best times together.

I: Um, I don't really know how to follow that. I don't know why she trynna be all mushy, but it's true. Time waits for no one, and you should take the time to create some goofy memories while you can!

While this post focused on sister-sister friendships, I'm sure that these tips can transfer over to sister-brother, and brother-brother friendships too. I also understand that not every sibling relationship is happily ever after. All I want to communicate is with time, support, and love valuable friendships can form between siblings.

"There are “friends” who destroy each other, but a real friend sticks closer than a brother."

Proverbs 18:24 NLT

#relationships #family #sisterhood #friendship #siblings #thehowtoseries