Whenever I go to family gatherings, my older sister and I are always mixed up. Why, you ask? Probably because we’re both 5’2″, with similar facial features—dark eyes, wide smiles, and the same flat and wide nose that runs in our family. It’s kind of funny, but it can also be pretty annoying at times, like when people mix up our names—especially our parents.
With a five-year age gap between me and my older sister, plus a younger sister who is eight, we can be best friends on some days and competitors on others, racing each other up the stairs. As the middle child, I usually find myself just trying to survive between my older sister and our younger sister, which has its challenges and advantages. Yes, there are times when I feel like I’m stuck in the middle between two different worlds, but I also get to rely on my older sister to be my personal therapist and be my younger sister’s playmate. One minute, I’m telling my sister about something embarrassing I did, and the next, I’m trying to keep it together, teaching my younger sister multiplication, or trying not to cringe while playing silly games with her.
Despite how different we are, there’s definitely a strong bond between the three of us. Even though we were basically forced to be each other’s best friends, I don’t really mind—well, most of the time, anyway. We share inside jokes and know each other better than other people ever would. We all grew up together, sharing memories like singing our hearts out to One Direction in the car during road trips, recalling all the embarrassing moments we’ve had, and telling each other secrets that we’d never share with our parents. Plus, we keep a ton of ugly but hilarious photos of each other saved on our phones.
Some of my favorite memories are the late-night study sessions in my older sister’s room, when we end up watching a series and staying up late on a school night or sharing secrets we wouldn’t tell our parents. Or that time on the first day of school when my younger sister was taking her back-to-school photos at the front door, and my older sister and I were peeking through the window, making funny faces for the camera. Those are the moments that make me realize that they mean a lot to me, even if they’re sometimes really unbearable.
We definitely argue about the silliest things, like who finished the blueberry muffin or who’s going to do the dishes and clean the table (we’d rather clean the table than wash dishes). Looking back on those moments, even when the most minor disagreements sometimes escalate into huge fights, we always find a way to let them go later on. One of us will accidentally say something stupid or give in, making all the tension go away and pretending nothing ever happened between us.
No matter how many times we argue over chores or steal each other’s clothes without asking, I know both my sisters are always there for me, even when I can be a really annoying sister who doesn’t know how to be quiet. We’ve spent all of our lives together, and even after all the asinine and pointless fights we get into, we also understand each other better than anyone else ever could. Although having sisters can be a hassle, it’s a part of my life that I’d never trade for anything and always somehow makes me smile, no matter what.
