The idiosyncrasies of siblings: Things only siblings understand

I have a brother who is eighteen months younger than me and two grades behind me. Some of my fondest memories of childhood involve my brother – except for the time he threw scissors at me and it landed just under my eyebrow. After living overseas for my dad’s job, my parents bought ten acres in a rural area in northern California. This gave us the opportunity to explore, build forts, ride our bikes, and use baseball bats we made from thick tree branches to hit dirt clods out into the field.

I’m sure there were times my brother and I drove our parents nuts with fighting – just as my two sons (ages 9 and 7) do to me now. But I have so many wonderful memories of growing up with my brother. Some days I miss my little brother so much it makes my heart ache. He was my partner in crime and my fellow conquistador. In the last 20 years since I graduated from college, I’ve only lived in the same state as my brother for one year. He’s now a busy orthopedic surgeon in the Bay Area in California, but to me, he’ll always be my little kid brother. I can both laugh and cry about him – the kid who I laughed at when a hornet flew into his helmet while he was riding a motorcycle. Yet, when I was in the third grade and another kid teased my brother, I gave that kid a bloody nose. (I threw a walnut in its shell at him, I didn’t punch him.)

If you have a sibling, the following video will remind you of all the funny idiosyncrasies that only you and your sibling understand about each other – often times at your parents’ expense.

Take a look:

Video source:  BuzzFeed

Photo source:  © The Momiverse (Yep, that’s a photo of my little brother and me circa 1975 – complete with my Kung Fu lunchbox – which I was utterly embarrassed to use.)

What’s your funniest memory of your sibling(s)? 

Charmin Calamaris

Charmin is a wife, mom of two boys and creator of the Momiverse. The Momiverse is an online magazine for busy moms (is there any other kind?) dedicated to helping moms make time – and take time – for themselves. She traded in her career in land use planning and environmental policy to become Chief Executive Navigator of the Momiverse. You can connect with Charmin in her "online office" on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook.

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