Together in good and bad

A saying by author Susan Scarf Merrell goes — ‘Our brothers and sisters are there with us from the dawn of our personal stories to the inevitable dusk’.
 
And it is true considering sibling relationships are the longest relationships people share.
In a time when more and more students and youngsters are opting to go abroad for their studies and jobs, sibling relationships are continuously evolving.

Metrolife asks some youngsters on the relationship they share with their siblings. Sumana, a student says, “My brother has been away for almost two years. It is really difficult and I miss him lot. We rarely get to talk because of our busy schedules, but it hasn’t changed anything between us. I still talk to him the way I used to before he left. We fight as much as we used to before.”

While many might think that a couple of years away from each other would be sufficient to weaken the bond between siblings, Gautham, a professional has something else to say.

“My brother has been away for about ten years now and the distance has helped us realise our closeness and strengthen our bond. We have started talking more after he moved out. I don’t take him for granted anymore and we are more involved in each other’s lives now.” He adds, “Of course things have changed at home since he has left. I am expected to assume his role at home and do everything he used to. So expectations from parents have increased.”

Dr Naresh Shetty, a psychologist at M S Ramaiah Memorial Hospital has a different take on the topic.   He says, “Out of sight is out of mind. When a sibling moves out, it definitely has more negatives to it than positives. Siblings do drift apart. However, children today find it easier to cope with such a change when compared to the previous generations.
The mental framework has changed considerably and they are better equipped to deal with such changes.”

He adds, “However, parents seem to be more affected by this phenomenon than kids. In today’s world where most families are nuclear families, parents seem to find it very difficult to live without their children, especially when they are distressed.”

Prajwal, a student, thinks distance doesn’t always cause siblings to drift apart.
He says, “Yes, it is hard to maintain proper ties with your siblings when they are far away, but technology has evolved greatly and today, people can easily keep in touch with one another. At the end of the day, it depends on the individual and his/her sibling. If they share a bond that they want to maintain, they will make an effort to do so.”