A bit of Rambling

 
My friend was telling me about her children’s interactions with each other. I told her that the sibling relationship is an interesting dynamic that can be painful or rewarding, or both.
 
I normally post my family stuff on The Ruralhood, but since the April A-Z, well I’ve written nothing over there. (I actually do have a new yarn to post at TR and will do so soon.) This photo, I posted on FB for my niece.
Now back to the photograph.  This is a picture of my siblings and me.
My Brother
First of all, (and I hope he forgives me for saying this) my brother (in my opinion) looked like Opie Taylor as a youngster. My brother is MUCH prettier (now) than the grown up Opie is (now), but he kind of looked like Opie then. He was cute, but my little brother was a bit ornery. I fought many battles for him, when he was little, because I was his big sister and most of the battles he started he couldn’t win.
I could write a book about him.  
My brother and I were playmates as children, but really how much fun could it have been for him. I was very bossy, and he had to do everything my way or the highway.  Later he paid me back, when as teenagers, he grilled me about every date I had.
My Sister
The littlest child, in the picture, is our baby sister. I must confess, and she may know this and if not will read this, I  feel like I ignored her most of our childhood. I’m not sure why. Maybe it was the eight years difference in our ages. Maybe it was because my brother asked my parents to return her to the hospital, and I thought it might be a good idea too, but they declined. Maybe it’s because she got too much attention when she came home from the hospital, as babies do.
My mom asked me once, when we lived in Illinois on Hamilton Street, why I didn’t play with my little sister. I don’t remember my answer, but I remember the guilt feeling I had. I knew she was right.
I must say, I'm glad I have a sister and brother. No really, Christmas is coming and I want gifts. I must say it.
Now on to Me
What I really want to point out in this photo isn’t that I was quite the fashionista, or that I was going through my Mary Tyler Moore lookalike stage. No. What I want to point out is my attitude. See the attitude in my body language and on my face?
I’m much older now, but the attitude has traveled with me through life and at times has been the life and death of me. Figuratively speaking.
Oh and under that shirt, I’m pretty sure I’m wearing my very first bra. TMI?  I really wanted a padded bra, but my mom thought a training bra would be best. So we trained them. J
Questions for you, if you so choose: Do you have sibs? Are you the little, the middle, the oldest sibling or something else? If you’re a writer, have you used siblings in your writing and in what way? If you were voting for me, would you choose: a) a training bra or b) a padded bra?  
 
 
 

Comments

Hi Teresa .. what fun - I had two brothers and a friend of mine from over the road .. and we constantly ran away from our little brother! Meanies.

My goodness - training those thingies .. did it work?! I'd choose training ones - much more fun ....

I love the way you always add in the side remark .. in this instance Christmas is coming .. and prezzies might appear ...

Cheers Hilary
Love the picture! Too funny about the Opie comment...ha! He looks like a real cutie. And you can't help that age difference and how you handled it--only natural.
JoJo said…
I have no siblings and when I was a kid, I was crushed that I didn't have an older brother and also lived in fear my mom would have another baby. I'd already made up my mind if that happened, I would not participate in any way shape or form, and don't dare ask me to babysit b/c I have my own life. I was horribly jealous of a young cousin when she was born...I was 9...and when her family came to visit us, everyone doted on the baby and tried to make me play with and hold her but I kept to myself, seething with jealousy and anger. However, now that I'm an adult, I wish I had siblings.
Pat Hatt said…
Oh I did plenty to my siblings, being the oldest can be fun
Stephen Tremp said…
I'm the third out of four kids and we are all within a six year span. So three of us were in high school at the same time.

We drove our parents bonkers but are still very close today.
I'm the youngest, so I got the short end of the stick most of the time. I wasn't a fighter so I just let my brother have his way.
Arlee Bird said…
I am the oldest in my family with 2 brothers and 2 sisters. The dynamics of family can be very interesting, but for the most part very rewarding.

I'll go with the feminist vote for no bra. Those padded bras could be awkward for me to contemplate. Especially when they were padded with Kleenex.

Lee
Tossing It Out



cleemckenzie said…
I'm the old one. My sister came along when I was nine! OMG what an adjustment that was! But I love her now and I probably did then. I just didn't feel up to sharing at first. :-) I'm for the "training" bra, although I never understood what they were supposed to train.
Unknown said…
I have siblings. Two younger sisters. I wasnt that close to my youngest sister because she was 5 years younger than me. Love your looks back.
Love this post. I only have one sibling - a younger sister. Oh boy did we used to terrorize one another!!
Jay Noel said…
You are so funny. I'm the oldest of three also. There's 11 yrs between me and the youngest, so I'm more of an uncle. It's kinda weird.
Kit Grady said…
ah, Mary Tyler Moore, - I do have a sis ter and brother and have used names and habits in my stories-
Carol Kilgore said…
I have one younger sister. I cringe when I look at some of my clothing choices in old photos.
Lynn Proctor said…
haha this was cute! i have two older sisters and a younger brother---yes, the only, short story, book i have written has them all in it----hmmm padded :)
Deb Shucka said…
You are so funny! Definitely a padded bra. :-)

Sibling relationships are part of what form us, and the only relationships that usually follow us through our whole lives. Even when we hate each other, we somehow know we're there when no one else is.

I have three younger brothers, all of whom I consider friends now. I was a very bossy and jealous older sister, and it's taken a lifetime to stop being that so I can appreciate the men they've become. I feel safer in the world knowing they're there.

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