BY CHLOE MAARHUIS

Sometimes siblings suck.

They may boss me around and annoy me when I least need it, but I know I have siblings for a reason. I am a classic shy middle child. I share many of the same interests as my siblings, but I also enjoy time by myself. I have two older brothers, Zach, and Jordan, and one younger sister named Jenna.

The Leader

My oldest brother Zach is probably the most influential of all my siblings. According to my mom, when I was born I was considered to be his “baby.” I feel like I took after him more than my other brother. He was the one who got me into the sports I really enjoy: biking, volleyball, and rollerblading, which I literally grew out of. He gave me his socks when I was getting blisters and sore ankles from wearing boots without socks on. When we got our dirt bike, he would take me on rides around my house and in the neighbouring field when my other siblings were too afraid to ride it.

The Quiet Guy

My other brother Jordan is a much more calming presence to be around. He is far quieter than I and he rather enjoys video games such as Monkey Ball and Mario Kart. Sometimes he did things either to make me laugh, or just for the heck of it; I think he tried on my younger sister’s sweatshirt at least twice. He would be the guy I could count on to teach me how to play a certain video game or to just to play with at any given moment. There were times we would be on the trampoline and he would consistently give me double bounces, which I loved.

My “Identical Twin”

My younger sister Jenna is much too much like me. Because we are so similar, it would often lead to fights, over dumb things like toys or games we made up that annoyed my parents. My sister and I used to love playing with Barbies, Polly Pockets and with Lego. There have been countless times when we were asked if my sister and I were twins. My mom was so happy that I had a sister so close in age to me and that we should be best friends. Through the past couple of years, it wasn’t exactly the case. But a couple of months ago, both my sister and I went on a mission trip to Mexico. I wasn’t that close with anyone else who was going, so that trip to Mexico brought us closer than we’ve been before. I can now say my sister is my best friend.

My siblings have shaped who I am. From learning how to bike with no hands because I saw my brother do it, to trying to trump my sister in things I can do that she can’t, they shaped who I am. That’s why I believe in the value of siblings.