My sister is about 3.5 yrs older than me. She was the perfect child. I looked up to her my entire life. Whatever she wanted to do, I wanted to do it too. She joined Girl Scouts- so did I. She got interested in marine biology, I decided my favorite animal was a dolphin. She took a photography class, I spent my allowance on disposable camera's. She was a Senior in High School when my mom had her nervous breakdown. She had just started dating her 1st boyfriend- who my mother did not approve of. But we were a close family. My mom always made sure to talk to us about everything! We were really open about a lot of things. There is very little I cannot talk to my mom about- and I love that! Being a single mom of 3 kids you have to approach everything openly and have trust within your home and we did. We were a team. When my sister started dating a guy that lied to her it was hard for my mom to sit back and watch it happen right in front of her. It's hard to see your children make their own mistakes... especially if they're mistakes you made too. Eventually, there was a falling out and my sister decided to move in with her boyfriend. Our lives were never the same. My sister hasn't spoken to my mother since May 2003. Even after I reconnected with her after 4 yrs, she refused to speak to her. It took my little brother some time but he eventually realized missing his mom was more important than being angry over something he didn't even understand. They see eachother a few times a yr now but my sister won't even thank her for gifts. My sister gave birth to her 1st child last year and hasn't let my mom even meet her yet! We were a very strong family.... how have we fallen so far apart?
My little brother is 7 yrs younger than me. He was born the day I started kindergarten. I was already furious with his existance simply because he was a boy- I wanted a girl. I didn't really like his dad and he didn't like me- we were both clear on that. Looking back, that's one thing I truly feel bad about. My little brother's dad is a good man.... I was awful to him. But at the time he wasn't really a good guy. He was an alcoholic druggie. He only came home when he ran out of money. But when he was home, he was sober. And when he was sober, he was a great guy. I have lots of fond memories of him- he made life fun. One time our electricity went out (I can't remember if we hadn't paid the bill or it was a storm) but instead of being angry, he pitched a tent in the living room and we 'camped out'. One of the best nights we had as a family. My little brother is just like his dad. He's a great kid! Ever since he was a little boy his dream has been to join the Army. His room was Camoflauged for several years, Army men scattered the floors of every room, he was always shooting and hiding from 'Charlie'. His favorite movie at the age of 5 was Saving Private Ryan. About a year ago, my little brother (now 16) was diagnosed with Crohn's Disease. When he realized that meant he couldn't join the Army after graduation he was crushed. He still hasn't fully accepted it. He played baseball for over 10 yrs and he's really good at it. He's funny, smart and caring. That kid has a heart of gold. He wouldn't intentionally hurt you to save his life. I love him and truly wish we were closer. He and my sister have always been very close- she basically raised him. And after my mom split and I moved in with my dad I really didn't see them much... and I've lived out of state for the last 6 yrs.
My step-brother is 3 months older than me. He was my best friend growing up- he still is. I love him with all my heart. I would have never made it through those years without him by my side. He understands me inside & out. He can make me laugh without even saying a word. He is the one person who truly understands me. He knows me better than anyone and I would trust him with everything but my money. My step-brother is a drug addict. He was born into drugs- why are we even remotely surprised? He was caught trying to set his bed on fire when he was 6, stealing at 8, started smoking at 11, weed by 13 and from there I can only imagine. I was no part of this. He tried to get me to smoke weed with him a few times in High School but I only tried it maybe twice- and never got high. When he was kicked out of High School I knew it was only a matter of time before he was kicked out of the house. He got his GED pretty quickly and didn't have much trouble finding a job. He worked for several months and handed every check directly to his mother who 'deposited it in the bank for him'. Finally he demanded he have use over his checking account and surprisingly enough they gave in. Within days the several thousands of dollars he had saved were gone. "ON WHAT?" He didn't know. After a few days of nonstop fighting, he left. He snuck back to my bedroom window and apologized for leaving me there... but he had to get out. I understand, I wanted out too. But I felt stuck. He knew how hard my life would be with him gone. He was my only protection from my father. And he did everything he could to take the worst of it while he was there. Without him... I was my fathers only target.
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