Creak. Crack. The sounds of my house are sometimes louder than the thoughts in my head. When you are an only child, sometimes the only things you hear in your house are the house itself. 

Although I am blessed to have my parents, life gets dull when you reach so many milestones yet don’t have a sibling to share it with. Whether the occasion is getting a driver’s license or graduating high school, these accomplishments would be worthwhile if I had a sibling by my side as to support me or tease me for growing up. At many times, I wish I could share some memories with a close sibling rather than just friends or my parents.

Throughout my lifetime, people with siblings have been quick to assume that I have a “perfect life” because I don’t have a brother or sister to bother me constantly. I’ve been told that I’m too spoiled or self-absorbed but that’s the opposite of the truth.

Being an only child does not have any impact on personality, but rather it is created in the environment the child grew up in. Even though it may seem like an only child would get the most attention from their parents, that does not affect the personality and emotional thoughts from people who don’t have siblings. 

Growing up, my parents practiced tough love and taught me discipline through it. Being an only child did not teach me how to be selfish but rather how to get along with others. Children who don’t have a sibling are more prone to the fear of growing with the feeling of loneliness over time. In fact, isolation has become so immune to people without siblings that is why it just seems normal. That is why in most cases, having alone time puts me in ease.

However, at times when the house is lonely I wish I could fill those silent noises through a conversation with a sibling. Although I hear many of my peers complain about having a sibling, I wish they did not say that because they do not recognize the feeling of absence.

Coming home straight from school and doing my homework in complete silence makes me question whether or not I am actually content with being an only child. At times I enjoy the quality time I spend alone and with my parents. However, for the most part I do wish I was able to have a sibling to make memories with.

At seventeen years, there were times when I wish that I had an older sibling to give me guidance or advice in life. Whether this advice is on what classes to take or simply just help with homework, a sibling is better that none at all. Also, if I did have an opportunity to have a younger sibling, then just maybe I would have some sort of experience with children–which is something I do not have.

I do believe that a sibling bond is something different than other relationships we have with close ones. To those who have siblings, it’s important to cherish them despite the current relationship you have with them now rather than not having them at all.