Brothers & Sisters

I've been feeling increasingly inspired to return to blogging lately and then this morning, BAM! I HAD to write. I love these moments - there's no faffing about, wondering what you'll write about or how you'll find the time. You just have to do it.

The nature of siblings has been on my mind a lot lately as I watch my two interact more and more. Really, no one is closer to you, genetically or otherwise - not only do you share the same DNA, you share a history, a story.

My brother and I were just 17 months apart, he the younger, and by all accounts never had a fight in our lives. I certainly don't remember any. We are complete opposites, which I think accounts for our getting on - I am loud and confident and talkative but also in many ways a thinker and an observer, whereas he is quieter but just gets on with things. More of a doer. We also have a sister but she's quite a bit younger than us, the baby and in many ways equaliser of the family - probably we are both closer to her than we are to each other, in adulthood. Oh and trust me, we both fought with her!

My brother and I got up to all sorts of mischief as little children and apparently drove my Mum quite mad. She recounts stories of getting us dressed up for a day out and returning home in tears vowing to never do it again.

When we were older we worked in the same pizza shop and carpooled to and from work. One night we were driving up our street, very late, when we spotted a large mass on the road - someone had placed a large block of cement right in the middle of the street. Teenagers probably, like us but stupider. Had we hit it in my old car it could have killed us. But as we pulled over to move it, a car came speeding up behind us, our neighbour's. We frantically started beeping the horn, my brother running into the street, but they hit it with an almighty bang. My parents ran out thinking it was us. No one was badly hurt but the car was completely written off, and the night is etched in both of our memories.

These days I don't see him much, him being the quiet person he is and the kind of guy who is probably more inclined to spend weekends with his girlfriend's family than his own. Like most men I guess. But I feel incredibly proud and protective of him, worry for him and stalk his Facebook posts. Normal big sister behaviour. Having had the privilege of having both a brother and a sister, I feel there is a completely different relationship between a woman and her sister to that between she and her brother - at least in my experience.

So here's to brothers - mine and my daughter's, our sweet little ray of sunshine who she finally happily plays with and is less inclined to try to smother...

 Z xx