I recently celebrated my first-ever Siblings Week. My sister and I do not live in the same city and we both have demanding jobs and obligations that make extended quality time together a bit difficult to achieve. Sure, we see one another for holidays, but between the cooking and extended family obligations, we often only have a small bit of time to really connect and catch up. We usually run errands together to get in our “sister time.”
For anyone who has siblings, whether you are close or not, you know there is a bond of understanding that you have with someone who has known you your entire life, who has a frame of reference for the various characters in your family, but who also has a different vantage point on certain events and individuals, depending on birth order or time away from home.
My sister is my closest confidant and for that, I am incredibly grateful. I know that is not the case for everyone, but might I suggest Siblings Week as a way to (re)connect? We went on a siblings trip that included my brother-in-law and his siblings as well; no parents, no kids…just the siblings. Even if you can’t travel far or for an extended period of time, a little respite with the siblings is a great way to remember all of the crazy antics you’ve gotten into over the decades. Telling stories that my sister barely remembers or has tattooed into her memory produced more laughter than I can recount. Debating the best musical artists of our upbringing over dinner was probably my favorite part of the vacation. Also, hearing stories from the other siblings is a way to see how families can be so different but so similar at the same time.
When I told my friends I was going on a siblings’ trip, many of them were inspired to make intentional time to spend with their siblings. Going away without kids and parents takes planning, but it is worth it. Luckily for me, my sister is the ultimate camp counselor. One of the best parts of the vacation was the amount of time we got to just “be.” We spent some days hanging out together, but we had autonomy over our schedules and convened for dinner every night, ranging from the casual to quite fancy. I couldn’t remember the last time I dressed up with my sister besides a wedding.
I hope you will be inspired to plan a siblings’ trip. If you don’t have biological siblings, you can plan a trip with people who feel like siblings. It is so important to be intentional about spending time with those we love. We must make time to recharge with people who give us the energy and love and confidence we need in this world.
Christina Greer, Ph.D., is an associate professor at Fordham University; author of “Black Ethnics: Race, Immigration, and the Pursuit of the American Dream”; and co-host of the podcast FAQ-NYC.