It’s never too late to call a sibling truce

An opinion | by AVERY ADAMS

Head-banging, thrasher metal music blasting from surround-sound speakers religiously every night? Sure! Whines of ‘Will you take me there? Avery! Come pick me up here!’ Why not! Twenty dollar McDonald’s trips at 11 p.m. on school nights? You betcha! Who doesn’t love having a freshman brother living just a wall away?

When Henry and I were little, we were enemies. We competed in almost everything: who could fit the most grapes into their mouth, who could run the fastest bare-footed, who was brave enough to yell the loudest in church, who could make Mom the most angry. All in good fun’¦for the most part.

The competitions used to define our relationship as brother and sister. However, now that we’re both much older, and, well, somewhat more mature, I’ve come to look at Henry as more than just an arch nemesis. Now when I need someone to accompany me to PetCo for a new fish, a tour guide around Westport or someone for mere entertainment, Henry’s there. When he needs help with honors biology homework, picking out new clothes, that ‘are comfortable, don’t look girly but don’t look like [he] tries to look good’ or a neighborhood-football teammate, I’m there. In a way, it’s like having a sidekick.

My mom used to always tell my brothers and sister and I that one day ‘we’ll be each others’ best friends.’ Sounds really cheesy, right? Now that we’re all older though, I can see what she meant. I now see just how important it is for siblings to get along, because whether you like it or not, you’re stuck with them for the rest of your life, so you might as well be friends.

There are some risks involved when befriending your sibling, however. Especially if he is a testosterone filled, teenage boy. If you bring your senior girlfriends around when your brother ‘just happens’ to be shirtless and ‘wanting to go to the gym,’ they will almost always be confused and will giggle awkwardly.

And if your brother invites all the ‘bros’ over before a Rockhurst football game, there will be no food left in the kitchen and dishes strewn throughout the house.

These risks, however annoying and weird they may be, make our friendship all the more entertaining and worthwhile. Oh and if any of you readers are worried that Henry will disagree with anything in this article, don’t worry. He’s read it. And his response? ‘Make sure you put my phone number in that’¦you know, for all the single St. Teresa’s girls.’

So there you have it! My brother, best friend and womanizer! Now go out there and befriend your siblings!