My sister Rachel and I look the same and sound the same, but are two completely different people. Although we can take phones calls for each other and no one knows the difference, she’s a Starbucks Doubleshot and I’m a café mocha. We are similar, but not. I think every set of sisters understands the struggles, and the perks, of having a sister(s), so here are five things only sisters can understand:
1. Looking alike, different personalities.
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My sister and I are two years apart and have been mistaken for twins. More than once. We also have the same voice and facial expressions. While we look and sound alike, we hardly have the same personalities. I am a planner and I worry constantly. She is more free-spirited and carefree. I like Old Navy and reading books. She likes Urban Outfitters and listening to records. While we are different, sometimes we are the same. We both love coffee, we both excel in academics, and we are both independent.
2. Stealing clothes.
This one I hate! As the older sister, the clothes I outgrew went to my sister. Not only did she receive my hand-me-downs, she also got new clothes. She had DOUBLE the clothes and she still tried to wear mine. It doesn’t make any sense! Also, I was too large to fit into her miniature clothes, so I couldn’t share in the clothes-swapping fun. My BFF, Jaimee, and her older sister are the total opposite of Rachel and I. They have the mindset that sharing clothes means more clothes. I would never be able to handle that personally, but maybe it’s a good idea for others to try!
3. Trying to “one-up” each other.
This is a major one in our household. We were raised to take academics VERY seriously, and that resulted in our being extremely competitive. For instance, I got a 28 on my ACT. Not too bad, right? Well, when my sister took it, she got a 29. How do I know this? She called me at college, while I was laying in bed, to say she beat my score and that I should tell all my friends she did better than me. She seriously said that! She is going to be a senior this year and is still trying to “one-up” everything I did in high school. And, I am sure it will never end.
4. The older one worries — a lot.
For my sister and I, I was always the worrier. I am the older sister, so I think it comes with the territory. I essentially feel like her mother; I worry about the people she hangs out with, what she does on the weekends, and when she is applying for college. This may be because our real mom was not a part of our life, so I took over the responsibilities of that role. But still, I feel like as the older sister it is my job to make sure she is OK. She sure doesn’t appreciate the worrying, and wishes I would quit, but it is difficult to stop! She is the only sister I have!
5. Being at each other's throats, then perfectly fine in five seconds.
This literally happens every time my sister and I interact. We will begin a conversation, one will get mad about something, we yell, then something miraculous happens, and we are fine. Last week, I was helping her apply to OSU and that turned into chaos, but five seconds later, she was asking my advice. It’s funny how things work.
