In praise of siblings
"Our brothers and sisters are there with us from the dawn of our personal stories to the inevitable dusk."
- Susan Scarf Merrell
We honor our old man, celebrating fatherhood and its influence on society on Father's Day. Hugs and kisses aren't the only surprises for Mom on Mother's Day. What about our brother(s) and sister(s)? The Siblings Day Foundation hopes that the National Siblings Day will be federally recognized soon.
The relationship we share with our siblings is as important and life-lasting as our bond with our parents. The idea to make it a holiday was conceived by Claudia Evart, in memory of her deceased brother and sister. The Siblings Day Foundation was incorporated in 1997, achieving non-profit status two years later. Carolyn Maloney, then U.S. Representative for New York's 12th congressional district, introduced it into the official Congressional Record of the United States Congress on April 6, 2005. At the moment, thirty nine states have officially issued proclamations to recognize Siblings Day every tenth of April.
To illustrate how special and unique the relationship between siblings is, here are five who have been there for each other, bringing out the best from each other:
Brontë family. Charlotte, Branwell, Emily, and Anne were very close to each other when they were little, developing their imaginations through collaborative writing. Their story could be seen as tragic, if one would notice how young they were when they passed away. It was one of the many things that would mark their lives - and writing - profoundly. Emily, the most talented of the siblings, might not have been able to pen "Wuthering Heights", a classic of English literature, if not for her sisters and brother. Ditto with Charlotte, the eldest. They were seen as romantic rebels, a product of their time and a result of years of togetherness.
Coen brothers. Ethan and Joel Coen were directors, producers, and screenwriters. Ethan, older by three years, gets sole credit for directing and Joel for producing. But anyone who have worked with them would tell that they have been working together since the beginning, when they weren't part of the mainstream. The brothers' penchant for quirky characters and droll stories earned them a following, winning accolades along the way.
Marx Brothers. It's hard to imagine comedy without Chico, Harpo, and Groucho, who enjoy messing around - and anyone they encounter. This have been their distinctive on-screen persona, which brought them success during the early years of the talkies. It was impossible that one could be successful without the others, as their teamwork, as some of their fans would put it, was the sole reason for making millions of moviegoers laughing.
Vincent and Theo van Gogh. Vincent, the famed post-Impressionist painter, had a huge fan in Theo, his younger brother. The years of mental illness and painful anxiety, which affected Vincent, were not uncommon among artists. But it was Theo, a respected art dealer, who have shown great interest, always supportive of his abilities. There was no doubt that the brothers were close, as Theo died months after Vincent's passing.
Venus and Serena Williams. So much have been said about these sisters, who have twenty four Grand Slam singles titles between them. Many remarks were unflattering, but this didn't stop them playing. They are also one of the best in the doubles, winner of thirteen majors and three Olympic gold medals.
