My sister and I fought our entire childhood due to our differences. As adults, we are best friends.
I am the oldest child. Like many, I grew up under the expectation that I should be mature, my sister's caretaker. I was classically anxious, organized, and bossy. My belief was that my little sister, who is three years my junior, was both my responsibility and my subordinate.
We had epic, sisterly battles. I was type A, and my sister was not. We shared a bedroom, where my side had a bookcase, with my books arranged in alphabetical order and my bed tidily made. My sister hid chips under her bed among the dust bunnies and other random objects. I had an American Girl doll (Samantha, of course). Her favorite doll was a plastic witch with glowing, green skin. We were very, very different.
We both had a mean side
When we were kids, I would entrap my sister in any way I could. Yes, I was a control freak and sometimes, not for my sister's betterment, but used for her downfall. I would play a game with her called "Yard Sale," where we lay out toys on our beds to sell to each other in exchange for coins. I lured her into selling some brand new doll clothes our aunt bought her, while also convincing her to trade me her dimes for my nickels. I easily convinced her that nickels are bigger, so they were more valuable.
We also played a game I invented called "Princess and Helper." It's played exactly like it sounds. I was the princess, and she was to do my bidding. When our mom made homemade cookies, as she often did, we were allowed two per day. However, I would convince my sister that as my personal helper, she would need to go down and sneak me more cookies. After enjoying them, I would tattle on her for sneaking, or sometimes I would even summon our mom mid-sneak to catch my sister.
My sister, the funny and witty one, would pay me back, utilizing the very thing I made her do for me: sneak. She confessed, years after I moved away from home, that she scrubbed the toilet with my toothbrush and replaced it, waiting for me to brush my teeth the next morning before heading off to school.
Growing up helped us grow together
The reality is, I was quite jealous of my sister when we were growing up. She was always getting others to laugh, and in her teen years she was a hazel-eyed, curvy blonde. I was nearly flat-chested, skinny, and overwhelmingly uncool. My sister was usually the life of the party. I was a stick-in-the-mud.
After I moved away and got married, my sister completed nursing school and also wed. We both went on to build our families. I now have four kids, and my sister has three. As adults, my sister and I have found ourselves exploring how much we have in common, from raising kids, to our political and religious beliefs, and our stellar husbands who put up with our shenanigans and strong opinions. I can say that without a doubt, my sister is my best friend.
The things about her that drove me nuts when we were kids are the very things I appreciate about her now. Her humor can help life be lighter. Her ability to care deeply for people shows her incredible empathy. She will drop everything to help someone in need. She's also the biggest hype woman of other humans, always dropping compliments on someone else living their best life. She's a fierce advocate for marginalized people.
Sibling rivalry and the big sister-little sister dynamic is quite common, and I think we both have learned that our differences are what makes us amazing besties. Our sisterhood has been a long journey, one that has evolved from a constant battle into an appreciation that carries us through all life's ups and downs.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
My sister and I fought our entire childhood due to our differences. As adults, we are best friends.
Growing up, my younger sister and I had some epic battles, with both of us showing our mean side. Over the years, our relationship evolved from a sibling rivalry to a strong adult friendship. The things that once drove me nuts about her, are now the qualities I love and appreciate the most. I am the oldest child. Like many, I grew up under the expectation that I should be mature, my sister's caretaker. I was classically anxious, organized, and bossy. My belief was that my little sister, who is three years my junior, was both my responsibility and my subordinate. We had epic, sisterly battles. I was type A, and my sister was not. We shared a bedroom, where my side had a bookcase, with my books arranged in alphabetical order and my bed tidily made. My sister hid chips under her bed among the dust bunnies and other random objects. I had an American Girl doll (Samantha, of course). Her favorite doll was a plastic witch with glowing, green skin. We were very, very different. When we were kids, I would entrap my sister in any way I could. Yes, I was a control freak and sometimes, not for my sister's betterment, but used for her downfall. I would play a game with her called "Yard Sale," where we lay out toys on our beds to sell to each other in exchange for coins. I lured her into selling some brand new doll clothes our aunt bought her, while also convincing her to trade me her dimes for my nickels. I easily convinced her that nickels are bigger, so they were more valuable. We also played a game I invented called "Princess and Helper." It's played exactly like it sounds. I was the princess, and she was to do my bidding. When our mom made homemade cookies, as she often did, we were allowed two per day. However, I would convince my sister that as my personal helper, she would need to go down and sneak me more cookies. After enjoying them, I would tattle on her for sneaking, or sometimes I would even summon our mom mid-sneak to catch my sister. My sister, the funny and witty one, would pay me back, utilizing the very thing I made her do for me: sneak. She confessed, years after I moved away from home, that she scrubbed the toilet with my toothbrush and replaced it, waiting for me to brush my teeth the next morning before heading off to school. The reality is, I was quite jealous of my sister when we were growing up. She was always getting others to laugh, and in her teen years she was a hazel-eyed, curvy blonde. I was nearly flat-chested, skinny, and overwhelmingly uncool. My sister was usually the life of the party. I was a stick-in-the-mud. After I moved away and got married, my sister completed nursing school and also wed. We both went on to build our families. I now have four kids, and my sister has three. As adults, my sister and I have found ourselves exploring how much we have in common, from raising kids, to our political and religious beliefs, and our stellar husbands who put up with our shenanigans and strong opinions. I can say that without a doubt, my sister is my best friend. The things about her that drove me nuts when we were kids are the very things I appreciate about her now. Her humor can help life be lighter. Her ability to care deeply for people shows her incredible empathy. She will drop everything to help someone in need. She's also the biggest hype woman of other humans, always dropping compliments on someone else living their best life. She's a fierce advocate for marginalized people. Sibling rivalry and the big sister-little sister dynamic is quite common, and I think we both have learned that our differences are what makes us amazing besties. Our sisterhood has been a long journey, one that has evolved from a constant battle into an appreciation that carries us through all life's ups and downs. Read the original article on Business Insider
Business Insider
2 days ago
- Business Insider
My sister and I fought our entire childhood due to our differences. As adults, we are best friends.
I am the oldest child. Like many, I grew up under the expectation that I should be mature, my sister's caretaker. I was classically anxious, organized, and bossy. My belief was that my little sister, who is three years my junior, was both my responsibility and my subordinate. We had epic, sisterly battles. I was type A, and my sister was not. We shared a bedroom, where my side had a bookcase, with my books arranged in alphabetical order and my bed tidily made. My sister hid chips under her bed among the dust bunnies and other random objects. I had an American Girl doll (Samantha, of course). Her favorite doll was a plastic witch with glowing, green skin. We were very, very different. We both had a mean side When we were kids, I would entrap my sister in any way I could. Yes, I was a control freak and sometimes, not for my sister's betterment, but used for her downfall. I would play a game with her called "Yard Sale," where we lay out toys on our beds to sell to each other in exchange for coins. I lured her into selling some brand new doll clothes our aunt bought her, while also convincing her to trade me her dimes for my nickels. I easily convinced her that nickels are bigger, so they were more valuable. We also played a game I invented called "Princess and Helper." It's played exactly like it sounds. I was the princess, and she was to do my bidding. When our mom made homemade cookies, as she often did, we were allowed two per day. However, I would convince my sister that as my personal helper, she would need to go down and sneak me more cookies. After enjoying them, I would tattle on her for sneaking, or sometimes I would even summon our mom mid-sneak to catch my sister. My sister, the funny and witty one, would pay me back, utilizing the very thing I made her do for me: sneak. She confessed, years after I moved away from home, that she scrubbed the toilet with my toothbrush and replaced it, waiting for me to brush my teeth the next morning before heading off to school. Growing up helped us grow together The reality is, I was quite jealous of my sister when we were growing up. She was always getting others to laugh, and in her teen years she was a hazel-eyed, curvy blonde. I was nearly flat-chested, skinny, and overwhelmingly uncool. My sister was usually the life of the party. I was a stick-in-the-mud. After I moved away and got married, my sister completed nursing school and also wed. We both went on to build our families. I now have four kids, and my sister has three. As adults, my sister and I have found ourselves exploring how much we have in common, from raising kids, to our political and religious beliefs, and our stellar husbands who put up with our shenanigans and strong opinions. I can say that without a doubt, my sister is my best friend. The things about her that drove me nuts when we were kids are the very things I appreciate about her now. Her humor can help life be lighter. Her ability to care deeply for people shows her incredible empathy. She will drop everything to help someone in need. She's also the biggest hype woman of other humans, always dropping compliments on someone else living their best life. She's a fierce advocate for marginalized people. Sibling rivalry and the big sister-little sister dynamic is quite common, and I think we both have learned that our differences are what makes us amazing besties. Our sisterhood has been a long journey, one that has evolved from a constant battle into an appreciation that carries us through all life's ups and downs.
Newsweek
04-06-2025
- Newsweek
Millennial Makes Case for These '90s Baby Names—Sparks Debate
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A woman has sparked debate online after sharing a list of '90s baby names she believes are due for a revival, but do you agree with her nostalgic picks? Kemmer Tonne (@kemmerrose), 30, a registered nurse, has long held a fascination with baby names. But her interest deepened when she became pregnant with her son two years ago. Tonne told Newsweek: "I have a nostalgia for '90s names since I was born in 1994. Many '90s names feel like an outdated trend that has come and gone, but the names I picked are so classic and timeless that I don't think they should have ever gone out of style. I wanted to make the video to remind people that there are some hidden gems that people have written off as 'too '90s' or 'too millennial.'" In her TikTok video, which has garnered almost 2 million views, Tonne lists several baby girl names that she believes deserve a second life. Among her top picks are Jenna, Carly, Corinne, Samantha, Paige, Molly, and Tess. She argues that, while some names like Samantha and Paige may feel strongly tied to the '90s era, they still align with the current naming trends of sweet, vintage-sounding names such as Violet and Hazel. Others, like Corinne and Tess, Tonne says, were never wildly popular, making them ideal candidates for rediscovery. A split image of Kemmer Tonne discussing her favorite baby names. A split image of Kemmer Tonne discussing her favorite baby names. @kemmerros/@kemmerros "As for the '90s baby names video, some of the names I chose have special meaning to me—for example, Molly was my best friend's name growing up. Samantha was my favorite American Girl Doll. I went to high school with a Corinne, Tess, and Paige," she added. Expert Insight Jo Hayes, an etiquette specialist with a background in speech-language pathology and a focus on social-language trends, told Newsweek that Tonne is tapping into a real shift. "I think this baby-name expert is bang on trend. Firstly, all things '90 are so in right now," Hayes said. "So it makes sense that names such as Carly and Samantha are ripe for the baby-name picking," she added. Hayes said that baby name trends tend to follow a cyclical pattern. She also pointed out that the current absence of these names in classrooms actually makes them more appealing. While the last few decades saw a boom in unique spellings—think Eliza/Elizah, Aubrey/Aubree, and McKayla/Mikayla—that trend is now waning. "It's no longer unique to have a unique spelling of a classic name," Hayes said. Instead, parents are beginning to seek comfort, familiarity, and a return to more "normal" spellings and styles. Hayes said that the '90s-era names strike a balance between that sense of tradition and a soft, nostalgic charm. "The world is yearning for comfort, 'normalcy' and tradition," Hayes added. "And while Jenna, Samantha and Carlee are not quite as traditional as Charlotte, Margaret and Victoria, the '90s comfort factor is certainly working in their favor." Hayes added that 30 to 40 years generally needs to pass before names from a given era become popular again. "The current generation of Samanthas, Carlys and Jennas are millennials," Hayes said. "To bring back these names any sooner would have been too soon. Still considered slightly dated." But with unique spellings like Rylee and Kaitlyn fading out, names such as Jenna and Paige could be ready for a comeback. Tonne, however, said that we are likely not there yet. "From what I can tell, there isn't much data to show '90s names coming back in popularity. "I don't think enough time has passed to make them seem 'cool' again. I think that is because people having babies now were born in the '90s and they know too many people with those names. Right now, vintage names are making a comeback. So maybe it will take one more generation before '90s names make their comeback," Tonne said. TikTok Reacts Internet viewers had plenty to say. Some users agreed that the '90s names deserve another chance, while others admitted they still have baggage from high school. "All the millennials having babies right now are too traumatized by girls in school that bullied them with those names to name their own kids after any popular 90s names," posted Alyssa Arnold. Others shared their enduring love for specific names. "I love the name Rachel," said Christy. "I've always loved the name Molly," added Hayley. "My name is Michelle and I feel it's so 90s but never hear of it anymore," noted Michelle. Some even revealed that they have already revived the names. "I named my daughter Lauren! She's now 3 and she wears it really well! We haven't met a young Lauren yet but everyone approaches her name with familiarity (obvi)," posted Kirby. "Kimberly is one of those 90s names I LOVE," commented Kristin. Do you have any viral videos or pictures that you want to share? We want to see the best ones! Send them in to life@ and they could appear on our site.
