Siblings often
see more of us in than we do ourselves. My sister sees me with absolute
clarity. Sydney knows my every vice, habits, and secret. If there is any person
I can look to to find out who I will become, it's her. And I guess it goes both
ways for us. There is a certain freedom in being utterly weird when you have
someone else to share it with. Few people know how awesome my sister's weird
side is. It brings more laughter and light to my life than any other person or
any other funny thing in the world. That aside, she's prone to strange sayings
and epiphanies. I finally just started writing them down whenever it
happened.
My childhood was mostly comprised of tormenting this small, loud
beast with whom I shared a bedroom. We
had a three-year gap between us, which was, to my six-year-old,
apple-juice-addled mind, the most exquisitely inconvenient age gap a set of
siblings could share. For the next six years or so, I felt she hindered my
potential genius. I felt like I'd been cheated. I was destined to be a
modern-day shaman, but all I had for an apprentice was this super chill toddler
that licked me on road trips until I was old enough to sit in the front seat.
Being the
philistine that she was, she had a hostile reaction to live music from a young
age. One of my earliest memories of my sister is from when I was singing the
Kenny Loggins song from Tigger Movie.
Ah, yes. I
should probably explain. Some time ago we began to call each other Gooby. It
has been our mutual nickname ever since.
The majesty of
siblinghood knows no bounds. Sydney and I share our deepest desires with each
other. For example, she adores Tyson chicken nuggets. It is only through years
of trust and friendship that I have realized that it's not just a friendly kind
of love. It's a once-in-a-lifetime love, the desperate kind worthy of poetry
and many tears. The way she asks me to buy them for her when we're buying
groceries is heart-rending.
As I live with
her, I am privy to her angsty musings. The teenage mind is a strange beast.
From her theory for the reasoning behind celebrity crushes to the true nature
of the moustache, I get to hear it all. For what these moments lack in
relevance and sense, they make up for in comedic timing and quaintness, and
listening to her rambles has an almost enlightening feel to it.
Mm. These are
the days of our lives, man. I'm so glad I have the relationship I have with
Sydney while we're this age. The stories of the times we've had make excellent
blackmail.
words and art copyright 2014 by Sabrina Smith
