I+believe

I believe that repairing a relationship with someone is a lot of hard work. No one ever said that relationships are easy. William James said, “Whenever you're in conflict with someone, there is one factor that can make the difference between damaging your relationship and deepening it. That factor is attitude.” I believe that this is true with all my heart. I believe that attitude is the key component in determining whether a relationship grows, or whether it dies. I believe if you want to be closer to someone, you have to take the first step. Wishing you were closer is not going to make it happen. You have to take action.

Growing up, I was never close to my sister. We did not exactly get along. My grandma once told us “I’ve never seen people fight the way you do.” In other words, she meant enthusiastically and often. When I got to college, I began to realize what I had missed growing up by not being close to my sister. I wanted to be closer, but I never took steps to make that happen.

Years passed. When I was a senior, my sister came to Central Michigan University. I decided that this would be the perfect time to become closer, and hopefully, become friends. I began inviting her over for dinner. I called to invite her shopping and to the movies. In response, I was mostly ignored. Sure she always came for food, but if food wasn’t present, most often, neither was my sister. I became discouraged, but I kept trying.

Recently however, something amazing has happened; my sister has started reaching out to me. It used to be she only called me when she needed something. In the past week however, she has called me twice: once to invite me out to lunch, and once to invite me out to dinner and a movie.

My relationship with my sister isn’t perfect, but it has gotten a lot better. Being patient and persistent has allowed my sister and I to become a lot closer. It was necessary for me to make the first step in repairing our relationship. It was also necessary for me to keep a positive attitude and to not give up. I believe that if I want my relationship with my sister to continue to grow, I need to continue being optimistic and working on developing a friendship with her. I believe that friendship is at the heart of every great relationship. Siblings that are close throughout life, are siblings that are not only family, but also friends.