, all three of us embracing, all hesitations and expectations forgotten. Mama, Mama, we all murmur, as if she is among us. My sisters look at me proudly…And now I also see what part of me is Chinese. It is obvious. It is my family. It is in our blood, after all these years, it can finally be let go.” (Tan 287)Just because two kids live together or are related doesn’t mean they have to like each other. Rivalry between siblings in only part of the story. Even more important is sibling loyalty. Sibling loyalty is apparent in the protective concern of brothers and sisters for one another. Many parents have seen a scolded child turn to a sibling for comfort or support-or have been surprised to find a youngster, usually critical of his rival, suddenly leap to his defense, as though some great injustice had been done. Others have seen an older sibling suddenly grab a younger brother or sister when the smaller child has gotten too close to the top of the stairs. This same protectiveness can extend beyond the home, with the older child backing up the younger one in tense or difficult play situations involving other children. Such moments of solidarity build mutual trust. (Time-Life 76)For younger children, the presence of an older brother or sister also provides a ready role model, a chance to learn from the experience of someone else. Morever, sibling relationships can lay the groundwork for broader social understanding. Teaching children to respect the feelings of others, to share and compete, to forgive and trust. These are necessary lessons, best learned in childhood. For all their fighting, siblings more often than not identify with each other. As kin, they learn about the world together. And when shared experiences begin to accumulate, a sense of loyalty emerges that can deepen into a lifelong bond. Studies have shown that the more closely two people are related, the higher the correlation between their...
