Anyone who has siblings knows they can be annoying and irritating. They get in your personal space, ask incessant questions and exist solely to make your life difficult.

   Sibling rivalry can also be a big part of having a brother or sister. For example, my sister and I are only two years apart, which emphasizes the level of competition between us. When we were younger, we did a lot of the same activities like gymnastics and art. This caused friction between us. In fact, when I mentioned some of the details of this column to Grace before going to write it, she told me, “I was better at gymnastics than you.” Even though we both quit over six years ago, it is still a source of animosity.

   Several years ago we both entered artwork into a competition. Grace was accidentally entered into my age category without us knowing. They called my name for second place and I was ecstatic to have won a ribbon. About five seconds later, they called out her name. We had been entered in the same category and she had beaten me. This led to tears for many hours and the subsequent throwing away of my ribbon because I couldn’t bear to look at it. I actually still resent her for it to this day.

   As we’ve gotten older, the resentment has faded slightly. We aren’t as likely to compete with each other for recognition of our achievements. She gets trophies for debating and I get awards for writing for the newspaper. Being different from her in many ways eases the tension between us and makes it easier to acknowledge each other in the hall when we pass by. We are more likely to open up to each other and I actually appreciate having a sister close to me in age.

   We still argue and fight over stupid stuff like the radio, who gets the front seat and how she ate the leftover pizza without me knowing.

   However, I’ve found that it’s easier to support someone else’s achievements when you’re no longer in direct competition with them for everything. I wouldn’t go so far as to say we are best friends, but we definitely are able to be in the same room without destroying each other, so that’s a start.