Rivalry at home is fairly common but one viral tweet shows how siblings’ relationships go way beyond petty domestic contests.
Twitter user Aaron Santos shared two handwritten letters from his younger sister. One letter was written two years ago while the other one was written recently.
The first letter was an apology while the second one was a letter of appreciation, where she tells him that she finally understood why he needed to be “strict” when she was younger.
Although Santos didn’t specify how or why he imposed rules for his sister, his post has been well-received by Twitterverse.
My little sister’s letter for me 2 years ago and her letter for me now
tangina ang sarap sa pakiramdam makita na habang lumalaki siya naiintindihan niya kung bakit ako strict sakanya pic.twitter.com/GKWCc0RuRf
— Aaron Santos (@AaronNSantos) April 16, 2018
In a follow-up tweet, Santos admitted that his stern character toward his sister prevented him from developing a closer relationship with her.
Ang laking pagkukulang ko lang ay dahil sa sobrang strict ko, hindi na tayo naging close. Pero di pa naman huli ang lahat. Babawi ako sayo mahal na mahal kita.
— Aaron Santos (@AaronNSantos) April 16, 2018
Many people commented that the post made them cry.
Huy nakakaiyak!
— Elioss ? (@toblaarone) April 16, 2018
Hoy naiiyak ako? legit
— Aira (@airaglorioxo) April 18, 2018
It’s because a bond between siblings is unbreakable.
It’s believed that the bond among siblings is stronger than that of children and their parents.
“Sibling Bond” authors Stephen Bank and Michael Kahn said, “The sibling relationship is life’s longest lasting relationship, longer, for the most of us by a quarter of a century, than our ties to our parents.”
“It lasts longer than our relationship with our children, certainly longer than with a spouse, and with the exception of a few lucky men and women, longer than with a best friend,” they continued.
There’s also a quality to the relationship that is unlike no other.
“In general, parents serve the same big-picture role as doctors on grand rounds. Siblings are like the nurses on the ward. They’re there every day,” University of Pittsburgh psychologist Daniel Shaw told TIME.
Research reported on TIME magazine in 2006 found that siblings are “collaborators and co-conspirators.” They are also an individual’s “role models and cautionary tales.”
Siblings teach us how to form our first friendships and resolve fights. They also help unravel the world’s enigmas for each other.
Bad experiences make them closer
In the viral handwritten letter, Santos’ sister cites times wherein she and her older brother had quarrels and misunderstandings. But these seemingly trying experiences also help siblings to form tighter bonds, the TIME report suggests.
When older siblings support and take care of their younger siblings, a unique kind of closeness is formed.
“When older sibs step in to help raise younger ones, the dual role of contemporary and caretaker can lay the foundation for an indestructible closeness later on,” TIME wrote.
