Who’s at the door? Yayyy, it’s my sibling that’s home from college. I reach out my arms for a long-awaited hug, but he’s already on his way to the kitchen. No Publix could provide enough curly macaroni noodles and a variety of cheese to sustain his semester-long hunger. I sit patiently and watch with amazement and slight disgust at how effortlessly and quickly my brother can replenish his stomach with my mom’s home cooking. I have lost my appetite– oh well. He lets out a big sigh of stuffed relief before slowly making his way to the couch. He collapses onto the warmed cushions and dozes off into a deep afternoon slumber as the sun-beams shine through the windows and wrap around him like a blanket. I guess I’ll just make myself a sandwich. It’s fine– I didn’t want any mac and cheese anyway.
My brother’s only been out of the house for three semesters, yet he is now the guest in the house. Forget about washing dishes, folding clothes, or cleaning the bathroom because when you are the first sibling to move away for college, all any parent wants is to be blessed by your presence. However, usually at the end of the summer when the family has gotten a little too used to my brother bumming around the house, he is assigned to yard work every morning. That is still such a chill life, though. I mean, think about it– great exercise, perfect tan, AND your parents will appreciate your work.
Being reunited with your built-in buddy is fun and all, but there are so many little annoyances that come along with him or her. You would think that your sibling wanting to stay up late and hang out with you is sweet, but their week of finals ends much earlier than yours does. Trying to cram hours of studying and homework into a school night is hard as is, but what’s even worse is when you have a family member constantly barging in your room and touching your things. Girls with brothers especially understand when they burst into your room, pick up a candle or decorative object, look in the mirror for a few moments, and leave without saying a word. Why do they do that? You can’t even tell them to get out of your room because they have already left after misplacing everything on your dresser. I don’t know if it’s just me, but I get so easily distracted by conversation. When my brother just wants to sit and chat, a homework assignment that should take ten minutes ends up taking four hours.
In the end, staying up a little late on a school night because you spend time with your family is not a hugely detrimental thing. It’s the little moments that matter the most and it’s best to spend time with those you love while you can. I’m jealous that I will never be able to be the first sibling to leave the nest, but at least I’m not the guinea pig for the college experience. Even if it doesn’t seem like it right now, your younger siblings will miss living a room away from you. (We will search your closet for clothes to steal while you’re gone, though!)
