Side Questing - Sibling Relationships (Issue 196)
How to stay close in adulthood
It’s easy for siblings to drift apart as they grow older. We often get busy with college, new jobs, finding a life partner, and raising a family. Before you know it, you are barely seeing each other. Heck, it’s hard to even make time for regular phone calls!
My family was very close when we were young. We spent a lot of time together. I remember weekends and summers filled with swimming at the lake and nearby river, hiking old country paths, camping in the Rockies, sledding in the winter, etc.
We did everything together!
So, it made me sad to realize how far apart we had drifted over the years as we grew older. I live in California, two of my siblings are in Colorado, and the rest of the family is still in Nebraska. So, we can’t just pop over for dinner or make a quick drive for a weekend visit!
A few years ago, I decided to reconnect with them more often. We would try to visit more often, but we also wanted to stay in touch every day. So, we started using the following to maintain our relationships…
We have a sibling group chat. I would love to get everyone on Discord, but we’re just using SMS for now.
We share little updates, photos, and memes with each other daily.
We’ve started scheduling an annual reunion to hike, enjoy good food and drink, and have fun! The photo below is from our hike this past weekend near Lake Tahoe.
We also see each other at different times throughout the year.
It’s not easy! We live pretty far apart and have our usual life and work commitments. But we’ve decided that it’s really important. We’re not kids anymore! So, who knows how many years we have left to enjoy each other’s company?
What do you do to stay in touch with your siblings? Reply to this email or leave a comment to share with us. I’m always looking for new ideas!
Larry Cornett, Ph.D. | Empowerment coach, psychologist, nature lover, and fitness freak. I help you escape the “hustle trap” to create an empowered life that fits who you are and what you want most. From Silicon Valley exec to self-employed entrepreneur, I’ve also followed this path to freedom, so now I can help others find their way.
➡️ Want to design your path? Book a free call with me!
📕 Check out my Invincible Daily Journals!