What happened to my two princesses?

Amber (P1) and Shannon (P3)
in front of the Christmas tree
at Katong Convent Primary.

It wasn’t that long ago when we had two cute little princesses in our household. They'd hold hands, help each other out, play and laugh together. The big sister would talk to the younger one gently, offering little nuggets of advice, telling her to be careful, looking out for her and so on.

Something happened along the way.

I think with siblings, it could go either way. Especially when they are around the same age. They are just two years apart. Having said that, sibling relationships are never static and continue to evolve as time passes.

These days though, it can sometimes seem like we're living with two strangers or even enemies. There are complaints of unfair issuance of instructions (How come you asked me to do this, but she doesn't have to?), ungrateful lending behaviour (Why is it I lend my stuff to you but you don't let me borrow yours?), theft (She took my jacket without asking for my permission), accusations of biased treatment (How come she gets to go out with her friends but I can't?), and the list goes on. Even ChatGPT couldn't keep up.

This has resulted in a rather hostile environment - but occasionally interspersed with moments of harmony and clarity where they suddenly remember that they are sisters, who are meant to care for each other.

As they grow into young adults, my hope is they would realise the bonds of sisterhood are meant to overcome any obstacle that comes their way. They may not always agree or get along perfectly but would be able to respect and appreciate their differences and perspectives.