Strained Sibling Bonds

We have always had a strained relationship. Growing up, the age gap between us made it hard

to connect in any meaningful way. My earliest memories of her aren’t warm or nostalgic.

They were chaotic, loud, and honestly, a little scary. I remember dodging

things she threw at me. I remember her screaming. And I vividly remember the time she was

babysitting me and decided to restrain me with duct tape because I was “being irritating.”

That’s the kind of stuff that stays with you. It created this feeling that she

was unpredictable, and being around her meant never fully knowing what version of her you’d

get. When she moved out in her late teens, our relationship didn’t improve —