My relationship with my sisters, like that of many other siblings, is a delicate blend of love and hate. We occasionally bicker, yet we always manage to resolve our differences by acting as if nothing ever happened.
On school mornings, if time permits, I sit at the dining table, eating breakfast as my sister takes the seat across from me. We don’t share a word or even look each other in the eye. With sleep still clinging to our eyelids, even the smallest irritations feel enlarged. On our way to school, a palpable stillness lingers between the driver and passenger seats.
Our soundless mornings don’t mean much though, it’s simply the exhaustion of living the same emotionally and physically demanding routine every day that drains our enthusiasm for even the simplest of conversations, or even saying “hi.” The intense atmosphere slowly begins to improve after school, when the car is filled with hums of laughter and the beats of our favorite songs blasting on the radio, erasing the morning’s silence with afternoon chaos.
I distinctly recall Mar. 13, 2020: a date that marked a seismic shift in our lives. The word of a two-week school closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic reverberated through the classroom speakers. Though that day was alive with buzz of excitement in the classrooms and hallways, little did we know that our lives were about to change. Quarantined in our homes, those weeks were filled with endless commotion as we played volleyball in the backyard, air-fried Bibigo kimchi dumplings at 4 a.m., and learned K-Pop dances through YouTube tutorials. As the weeks of isolation stretched into months, and the outside world became increasingly still, my sisters managed to turn an unpleasant period into a simple tapestry of ecstatic memories. Thank you, my dear sisters, for sparking immense joy in the life of a 13-year-old girl.
During the lockdown, I was reminded that only my sisters and I could laugh at things nobody else would ever understand. Whether we were reminiscing about inside jokes from our childhood or sending funny TikTok videos to each other, those sparks of happiness fueled by their presence became cherished moments that I hold onto dearly.
As I reflect on those times, I am extremely grateful for the moments spent deepening my bond with my sisters before venturing into the next chapter of my life: high school. Completing my final year of middle school on a computer screen from the comfort of my bed was an irksome experience: leaving me anxious and unprepared for the transition ahead. I felt completely uncertain about what to expect, but my sisters, having navigated this same experience before me, were fully prepared to guide me. Their constant efforts to ease my worries reminded me that I was never alone on this journey.
Whenever I feel lost, I take comfort in knowing that I have three people in my own home who are willing to offer advice, share a laugh, or even lend me some clothing. Although you will
