Siblings and Families

 

How close are you to your brother (s) and sister (s)?

It is not that easy an answer for several reasons.

• do you have one brother and one sister?
• do you have just one brother or one sister?
• do you have two sisters?
• do you have two brothers?
• what is the age difference between your siblings?
• did you parents have a favorite (s)?
• was there any bullying going on?
• the various career paths that were taken.

Influences

The closer the years in between, typically the closer the siblings.

The influence of the parents influences the closeness as well.

The financial wealth of each sibling (s).

The career path of each sibling (s).

The mobility of each sibling (s).

Probably the most important issue that I have been able to discover that separates or brings siblings together is:

WHAT THEY HAVE IN COMMON

That may not seem like much of a big deal but it is because if two siblings have very little if anything in common, then there is absolutely no reason for them to get together outside of the parents.  Once the parents are deceased, there is NO REASON for them to get together.

This HAVING SOMETHING IN COMMON holds true for parents and children as well.

If the parents are uneducated and the child or children are, then there is very little in common and no reason to get together, outside of respect for holidays.  Grandchildren present a reason to get together but after they reach a certain age, the reasons start to diminish.

Most of American families for these reasons are no longer close.  The family unit is breaking down.