Last update: July 19, 2016
Between sisters, neither time nor distance counts. Those faces that share similar expressions and the same way of laughing will start looking at each other again with the same complicity as always, sensing everything that is not said in words and feeding, once again, on that invisible bond that dwells eternally in their hearts.
We all know that brotherly relationships usually tend to be a unique and exceptional support system. Our siblings are family members who will most likely spend most of our life cycle with us. With them we share a past, experiences and an emotional legacy, built in an even more particular way in the case of the sisters.
The bond between sisters often brings back the echo of those childhood years marked by quarrels over clothes and the deep hatred derived from being the older or younger sister. The bond between sisters is now fueled by an affection that has never failed, an affection that sees no distance and that involves a daily concern for the well-being of the other.
According to a study carried out by the University of Illinois, the relationship between siblings is that first contact that a boy or girl has with an equal. This is an essential fact that parents need to keep in mind.
The most curious thing about sisterly bonding is that it tends to be complex during the early years of childhood. However, upon maturity, this relationship turns into a wonderful pillar, an exceptional alliance.
We invite you to deepen the topic.
Sisters: between love and rivalry
It is important to clarify immediately that family relationships are very complex and particular. This means that, clearly, not all sisters experience this bond in a positive and enriching way. Often, overcoming many of these problematic situations also means starting an adequate process of personal regeneration.
There is a very interesting book that deals with this very theme. In Brothers and Sisters - Discovering the Psychology of Companionship, psychologist Lara Newton talks about the differential perspective in which, at times, the relationship between sisters oscillates between rivalry and the most intense affection possible.
Let's see some examples that can determine the complexity of this relationship:
- The family and educational context in which we grow up can affect the relationship between sisters (sexist stereotypes, preference of one child over another, etc.).
- The birth order also gives rise to some differences between the two during the first years. Jealousies may appear or an instinct to protect the older sister towards the younger sister may arise.
- Growing up with one or more sisters also means going through different cycles where they grow up as women and learn new things from each other. So, gradually a bond is born based on complicity, regeneration and the indisputable support offered to each other, which tends to last over time.
Emotional support between sisters
The years pass and behind there remain those clandestine readings of the secret diary, the thefts of clothes from the closets, the attempts to eavesdrop on telephone conversations.
Now we could indicate with the finger the place that our sister occupies in our soul and say aloud how indispensable she is in our life despite the distance, despite the fact that each one lives with her own family and has personal projects.
Sisters are born from the same tree, and even though their branches grow in different directions, the roots remain the same.
Sisters, believe it or not, are skilled strategists when it comes to offering each other emotional support. The union between them goes beyond the genes, they are anchored to the depth of a common history that has woven a simple and lasting bond. A glance is enough for the sisters' emotional compasses to connect and they can intuit disappointments, pains or hopes.
We can say with certainty that bonding with our sister improves our quality of life thanks to eternal emotional support. The sisters reassure us, they have confidence in our abilities and remind us what our faults are, the ones we carry with us from childhood and that we have not yet changed.
Sisters are also the best counselors, the wisest; they do not mince words and are never distinguished by falseness or condescension. They want the best for us and we, in turn, want to count on this support forever, even if, sometimes, we quarrel or blame us for some episodes of the past.
Now, in adulthood, the sisters can also give us a new, equally exciting role: that of uncles or aunts. It is a time when this network of feelings and support is strengthened even more and shows that wonderful treasure that having a sister represents.
