Siblings, per The Merriam-Webster Dictionary, are, “one of two or more individuals having one common parent.” To me, however, they’re much more than that. They are those annoying, bossy, caring and playful individuals with whom I share parents and who make every day special.

I was born second of seven children. I have three brothers (Claudest 18, who is one year older than I, Carlest 15, Claudell 11), as well as one sister (Claunika 13) and two half-sisters (Chacondra 6, Chaconna 4), who are all younger than I am.

Memories

My best memories with my brothers and sisters are the simple ones: when we are all together. I enjoy spending time with them just sitting in the house playing and talking or out to the mall or a restaurant.

Back in September of 2016 my brother left for college. It was a sentimental moment because I realized that I would miss him more than I thought I would. We hugged for a while, crying, something that rarely happens. This was a sad yet joyful memory.

As both a younger and older sister, having siblings has greatly impacted my life, both positively and negatively. I know that my younger sisters and brothers look up to me, which has helped me grow into a mature person. Because they are so impressionable, I must set examples for them.

Being the younger sister

Being a younger sibling is good because I have someone to look up to, but it also is bad that my brother likes to control the things that I do. When I go out with friends, he tries to give me a curfew or decide which clothes I can and cannot wear. On the other hand, he has contributed to my maturity by guiding me in the right direction.

Being the older sister

Being an older sibling is great because instead of someone telling me what to do all the time, I can now tell others what to do. It also teaches me responsibility.

The bad thing about having younger siblings is that they like to follow me and do everything that I do, which is not always fun. Whenever I plan to go somewhere, like the movies, my sister, who’s 13 years old, always asks to come.

For Better or For Worse

Having brothers and sisters has its ups and down. I rarely get bored, because I always have them to look upon for entertainment. Also, I know that they’ll support me in whatever I do.

Sometimes having siblings means trouble, though. They always find a way to blame me for things that I did not do, and I don’t always get the things I want because they tend to want the same things.

The worst part is being pranked, especially by my brothers; they like to “smack cam” me where they slap me with lotion when I’m sleeping, and then record it, sometimes putting the video on social media.

The relationship that I have with my siblings is a love-hate one. We are not perfect. When we fight, sometimes they get physical so our parents then get involved. We start to break each other’s belongings, and throw things as well. But whether we like it or not, we’ll always still be family.