To wish I had a sister

[Briannaco]

My mum has four sisters. They've supported each other through every stage of life.

Now in their 60s and 70s, they all go for lunch together every two weeks. They all ring each other every week and tell each other what's been happening each week, and they support each other over the phone.

They are all close to each other. However my aunts are not like that to me. I think because they have so many nieces and nephews they are not really close to any of us.

But the five sisters themselves are close.

I have no sisters. I have one older brother. If I ring him and ask him any questions or ill try to chat to him, he will just reply with one word answers. He is very untalkative and unsupportive. He never asks me about my life. It's like having no one.

I just feel like life would be so much better having a sister and I feel sad ill never have one. My mum said that her friend was saying the same thing to her the other day. My mums friend has no sisters and she said that she'd love to have a sister.

I have 3 sisters. All older than me. We’re all on good terms and go for lunches etc. They’d probably say we’re extremely close, but I’m nowhere near as close to them as my girlfriends, several of whom I view as family and genuinely love.

In my mind, friends are the family you choose.

I wish I had one too. I see my young DDs' relationship and I'm sad that I didn't have that growing up. I see my friends with their adult sisters and see what I'm missing out on at this stage of life. I have no siblings. I don't feel lonely but I'm sad that it's a common part of life that I'll never experience

My brother is two years older than me.

Having said that my mum is not close to my aunt at all - in fact she's been a regular source of hurt for her. So I know it's not a given.

I had that, we were friends since school, so 30+ years. The group has suddenly fallen apart, it's been absolutely heartbreaking. There's no guarantee of anything in this life.

OP, your mum has been very lucky, I don't blame you for wanting the same. I have an older brother too who is not supportive at all.

Oh well!

Maybe next life, I'll have a sister

(I believe in reincarnation)

To stick up for Sisters, my sister is one of my best friends! We go on holiday together at least once a year.
Always were close as children but now we are even closer as adults. We have such similar interests.
I am aware that I am one of the luckiest people in the world to have such a great sister. (And she is obv lucky to have me 😂)

Some older brothers are not great are they

Any time I've seen my brother in the last couple of years, I felt really sad.

Because he is just so rude to me

I understand how you feel, I've wondered how nice it would be to have a sister, but I remember how my mum was the middle of 3 sisters, the other two disliked each other. Both liked my mum but she had to listen to each of them running the other one down.
I have one brother and we have a great relationship. He is very kind and caring and his wife is a lovely sister in law to me.
I feel very, very lucky.

My brother is rude and obnoxious.

I would say that he makes my life worse, rather than adds anything to it .

He just bosses me around or is nasty to me

I think you're idealising the sister relationship, the way some adult only children idealise the sibling relationship. I have three sisters, and it's historically been a very complex network of relationships, alliances, rivalries etc. I mean, it's not without value, but it's certainly not a matter of straightforward companionship, friendship and support. We grew up in poverty and in very overcrowded conditions, and in adulthood we dealt with it by being very keen on our own space, plus we've often all lived in different countries.

I have no one really.

While I do talk to my mother every week on the phone, I wouldn't call her a supportive loving person either. She's another person that's pretty self absorbed.

If I ring her she will talk on and on about her day, and then I'll interrupt and say "do you want to hear about my week at all?"

I never had a dad

It's a lonely life!

I have a sister. I haven’t seen her in years. She’s a self-centred bitch and says some very nasty things, zero empathy.
I think your Aunts and mum are probably an exception in some ways. A lot of family’s aren’t close. When I think about the people around me I can only think of 2 family’s where the sisters are particularly close.

I have two brothers and a sister, all close in age.

I am close to my brothers. Not close to my sister. We don't really chat and we defo don't meet up. 🤷🏽‍♀️

I have a brother and two sisters. We are all very close but my younger sister is only a year younger than me and we are best friends and have been all our lives.

We are also very close with our brothers wife .

My sister and I are like two peas in a pod and feel more like twins as we are so close.

On the other hand I have known women who have a sister who is their mortal enemy!

I guess it's just luck.

People say "your friends are your family"

But the people that I know with good loving families are happier.

The most miserable people I know, are the ones that had bad families.

I do think you need a bit of family support

That's why I feel lucky, because I have friends who have no relationship with their brother, or a very bad relationship. My friend's brother won't speak to her, he says they have nothing in common. You can choose your friends but not your family!

I have a sister and we get on well so long as we mainly hang out on WhatsApp and not in person for too long at a time 🤣. I actually get on better with my SIL and people often mistaken us for the ones that are related but then the relationship doesn’t have the complexities/ history that actual sibling relationships have so it’s easier.

In contrast im very close to my brother. More so than my sister.

Can you try harder so a closer relationship with your brother?

I'm an only girl with four brothers. I always wanted a sister. When I was younger I used to complain that it's not fair because everyone else in the family has a sister except me 🤣

I've tried many times.. He doesn't want it.

He's nasty to me and my mum.

I think he's unhappy in his own life. Which is making him nasty to us

My sister has MH issues and is not an easy person to be around, we're not close as she's prone to explosive outbursts. I see her a few times a year and for not too long otherwise she starts to get tetchy.

Be careful for what you wish for, I too wish I had a sister I was close to but unfortunately it's not turned out that way.

Come on op you must realise that not everyone speaks to their sisters.
There is no guarantee of friendship.

My sister bullied me relentlessly growing up. She was awful to me and it has had lasting effects on my mental health. She moved abroad when we were in our 30s and I was relieved. I always wanted a brother, I figured an older brother might have protected me.

My sister hates me.
It can be a complicated relationship.