Sibling Relationships Change as You Get Older — and That’s Good

When Rachael Gaskell, 23, was about 6 years old, her parents died, and she and her brother were put into foster care.

They spent a number of years together in a group home. But they were also separated at times, relying on scheduled visits or trips to Camp To Belong, a non-profit dedicated to reuniting siblings who are separated in foster care, to stay connected.

It was during this time she realized how important sibling relationships can be.

“That probably made my brother and I closer because we had each other no matter what we were going through,” Gaskell said. “He was there for me.”

Besides her brother, who’s a year older than she is, Gaskell has three sisters in their 30s and 40s and one brother in his 40s she didn’t meet until she was 19 years old.

The relationships she has with her siblings are all different, but they’re all significant, she said.

Now, Gaskell, like so many others, has had to learn what it means to navigate sibling relationships as an adult — a challenge created by growing up, moving away and starting your own lives.

For the full story: https://www.rewire.org/love/sibling-relationships-change-older-good/