20 Girls in Their 20s Get Real About Sisterhood
My sister is my favorite person, my soulmate, my best friend, except when she goes out of her way to text me that my “eyebrows looked weird” in my last Snapchat. But as crazy as she makes me, I’d do anything for her. And as furious as I make her, I know she’d do the same. We’ll always be there for each other; night or day, through the thick and thin (eyebrows). Because that’s just what sisters do. In honor of International Women’s Day, we asked twenty women in their twenties why their sisters are the best. Here’s to sisters, both blood and chosen. Happy International Women’s Day!
giphy.com1/20My little sister and I have similar voices, mannerisms, tastes & vocabulary—spending time with her can be a little bit like looking in a mirror. That’s probably why we’re so hard on each other, but it’s also why calling her my “best friend” doesn’t begin to describe our relationship. Two summers ago we spent a month driving around the U.S. together, camping in our parents’ old two-person tent. We spent most of our time talking in weird voices and languages that other people wouldn’t understand, listening to the awesomely bad music we grew up with in the 90’s, and getting into arguments that were forgotten a minute later. Having always shared a room, facial features, childhood experiences, opinions, beliefs, and clothes, a lot of our communication seems to happen telepathically. Once we were playing the word-guessing game “Password” and I’m positive we broke the world record for saying least and winning most.
- Clare
giphy.com2/20Having a sister is the best because I always have somebody to ask about those pretty awkward and super embarrassing questions in life and I know she'll give me her honest opinion. From talking about my dating life to the nitty gritty details about my sex life, my sister will never judge and will always give me the best wisdom. It's fabulous because I know she'll be brutally honest but it's also hard because she knows me the best so sometimes it's advice I NEED to hear but that I don't necessarily WANT hear. From the silly things to the serious things, having a sister to go to is fantastic. She helped me pick out the best bra for me, taught me to shave DOWN not UP in our lady bits (and some ladies had to learn that one the hard way!) and she even paid for my first tattoo (we totally have matching ones). She's had my back thru thick and thin and I will always have hers — that's the best part of having a sister.
- Kelsey
giphy.com3/20Facetiming in the middle of the night to talk about boys, live texting each other through presidential debates in order to maintain some sort of sanity, borrowing/sharing/stealing clothes, having a best friend at every family dinner, and having someone to talk to at every hour of the day who knows EXACTLY what you’re dealing with, because they’ve been through the same thing a hundred times. In my case, my sister is 7 years my senior and lives across the country, so in concept we should not be that close. But we have endless material to talk about. It’s the best. My sister is like my mentor, although sometimes (often) I‘m the more mature one.
- Scarlett
giphy.com4/20The coolest thing about having a sister is knowing that as different as my sister and I are, there is no one more similar to me in this world. Yes, we share parents, a zodiac sign, and genetic material, but growing up, we also shared a bathroom, toys, pets, friends, and life experiences. We were fed the same breakfast cereals and watched the same episodes of Full House recorded on VHS over and over again. We were sent to the same summer camp and the same schools, where we were taught from the same textbooks by the same teachers, surrounded by the same classmates. We've shared holidays with the same weird relatives and traveled to many of the same places. We've developed similar speech patterns and I'll often respond to something my mom said only to have her tell me that my sister said the exact same thing (or more typically, made the same exact joke.)
- Jessica
giphy.com5/20I love my big sister Ali so much. She is five years older than I am, so while we were growing up, we weren’t as close as I saw other sisters were. As we have gotten older and especially since our mom passed away when I was 21, our relationship has changed. She is my confidant, my best friend, and she makes me feel so loved and cared for while I navigate this new life without our mom. She always has my back whether she is knocking down the door of a boy who mistreated me, proofing my work emails, or giving me life changing advice, I don't know what I would do without her.
- Jackie
giphy.com6/20I am the oldest of three sisters, and love being a part of our trio. Sisters are the best because they are like built-in friends and support systems, and we 'get' one another on a deeper level too. On a day to day basis, sisters just make everything more fun. As kids, we would always come up with funny choreographed dances and skits — not that we are expert dancers or performers by any means. Fast forward to just last year, and we choreographed an energetic routine to Bruno Mars's "Uptown Funk," and I am 25. That is why sisters are the best.
- Sophia
giphy.com7/20I’m the younger sister and I have learned, through many trials and tribulations, that sometimes I take my sister for granted. She has introduced me to cool, hip trends, which have expedited my maturity when I was growing up. At 12 and 13 years old, I was already going to clubs and music venues with her. I was having so much fun hanging out with my sister and her friends that I was rarely around anyone my age outside of school. I love my sister, because who else understands and has the same quirkiness as me!
- Fiona
http://warnersisterdot.tumblr.com/8/20If you're lucky (like I consider myself to be), having a sister is like having a built-in best friend. It's someone you know will never judge you, who is likely having the same thoughts as you, same emotions, same way of viewing the world and the people in it. When you're young, having a sister is like having an eternal playmate; when you're grown up, it is being lucky enough to have an unconditional best friend who will always be by your side. Though, my friends and I all agree that the best perk to having a sister in your twenties is getting to skip the painfully political process of deciding who your maid of honor will be! Whew!! JK.
- Miranda
giphy.com9/20Growing up, we would travel to Europe every summer. Sometimes we would spend hours in the car with nothing but Italian radio stations or be in hilltop towns where the population was two toothless old men. We could literally have fun watching paint dry. We came up with countless games and weird songs that I am scared to repeat because we are actually insane. Being two years apart meant we went through most of the same phases and obsessions: Beanie Babies, the Spice Girls, roll-on glitter, hair wraps, and Now 5. We were also incredibly awkward at the same time. We refuse to look at pictures or video from the ages of 11-14 because those are the "bad" years. I don't think anyone can truly know me until they meet my sister. I don't know if I believe in soul mates or "other halves" but if I had one, it would definitely be my sister. BRB tearing up.
- Annabella (Miranda’s sister!)
giphy.com10/20I got lucky with three. We all possess the same CK initials, natural hair color, and mysterious confidence – and yet each of us is unique. Growing up I have developed a particularly strong bond with my baby sister, Chandler. I look to her as my North Star. We live in two different states, yet I know we are still synced being close to 3,000 miles away. Our relationship goes beyond the inevitable venting session where she listens to me at 2am as I cry about my relationship status or job I didn’t get. She remembers the birthday present I really wanted and checks my ego when necessary. One simple look and we are on the same page. When we were kids, our mother always used to say “you’ll be grateful for your sisters one day”. Well, that day has come — Chris, Cory, and Chandler are the best.
- Cody
giphy.com11/20Having a sister is the best because she's the only one who understands how confusing my family life is. Partly because, duh, she's in it. But with sisters, you don't have to do any explaining. Even when I tell other people the story of how my family members live on different parts of the planet, they're only half-listening and seem to forget it the next day. Having a sister means that there's someone out there who gets what you've been through, both as a person and as a woman.
- Defne
giphy.com12/20My sister is the best. I love her because she is all-around talented and entertaining. She is a great singer and dancer, and when we were little we would choreograph shows and perform for our older family members. When we grew up she was constantly playing the piano, singing or trying to teach herself a dance from a music video. She has lyrics to almost every song memorized and will start a jam session literally anywhere (in the car, the gym, the shower, a silent library). She always brightens my mood. I love that I will always have someone there to have fun with!
- Chyna
giphy.com13/20My sister and I have the exact same sense of humor, and she's my favorite person to try and crack up. She's also one of the only people who can make me do that "I can't breathe stop" kind of laugh. We've been through everything together. I love that we can laugh about all of the tough stuff that can be hard to find funny.
- Annie
giphy.com14/20It's kind of amazing to feel like I'm pre-programmed to not just be supportive of my sister, but always already enthusiastic for whatever she's got going on, and vise versa. It's like we have an unconditional LIKE pact, that no matter what we do, no one's allowed to stay mad or take anything personally, and that we'll ALWAYS find each other totally fascinating and hilarious. I think having a sister has made me a better friend, and it definitely helps me value my friendships with other women.
- Carolyn
giphy.com15/20Having a sister can drive you absolutely insane. Between stumbling across constant hair balls stuck to the shower walls and getting your clothes stolen with only a sticky note to trace their whereabouts, it's hard not to wish them away every once in a while. But while you may want to pull out your hair a few times, or a hundred, having a sister benefits you in more ways than one: you get hand-me-downs and hand-me-ups at least once a month, you always have a lifetime supply of feminine products to go around, you can sulk together as both your periods magically sync up each month, you never lack a phone charger, you NEVER run out of bobby pins, and during your most difficult days, you find yourself in her room watching mind-numbing television and talking about the world around you. At the end of the day, you have the joy of having a sister.
- Morgan
giphy.com16/20I thank the Lord I was given a sister because without one, I don't know how I would have survived the hurdles of my youth. Although my sister claims I didn't much care for her, I did more than she knew, and it was her presence that kept me grounded enough to survive the storms of adolescence. Now at ages 26 and 18 we are very close friends, best. For those without birth sisters (born of the same 'womb-yn,' ) sisterhood is found in the realization and understanding that all women are connected in a sacred global sisterhood through the sharing in the experience of being a Woman. Sisters share in the beauty and pain of what it means to be a female, on micro and macro levels. Women continue to face gut wrenching suppression and marginalization. Having sisters (whether it's your blood or soul sis) make felt injustices worth growing through, even when it hurts.
- Tatiana
gurl.com17/20Being yourself, being comfortable, being TOO comfortable, yelling at them, being forgiven countless times, being SO similar in weird ways you can't explain, and having completely separate lives, but such similar interests are the best thing about having a sister. Also, those memories that ONLY a sibling could remember and love/hate with you. Sisters.
- Sophie
giphy.com18/20Almost a decade older than my two siblings, I’ve always felt equal parts parent and sister. We fought together; we laughed together; we got scolded together. Rebecca never ceases to amaze me with her quirks, spunk, and precocious wit. We would sit on Skype for hours watching Bob Ross paint friends for his “happy little trees.” And despite all the storms life brings, after some Bob Ross therapy with my sister, I felt like nothing could keep me down. I don’t tell Rebecca enough how much I love her. She is the source of my strength and inspiration for continued self-improvement. I am honored to have such a unique sister, and I can’t wait to have our next adventure.
- Teresa
giphy.com19/20My sister and I used to fight all the time. I’d pull her hair, she’s steal my clothes, I’d embarrass her in front of her boyfriends… you know, kind of like tween sisters did in '90s movies. Once I told her to smell my feet because they smelled like mint, then kicked her in the face. Later that week, she cut my hair when I wasn’t looking. We were always getting grounded, AND we shared a room, so we spent our grounded time conspiring against the other, too. ALL of her clothing would "go missing." But now, 10 years later… we’re best friends and neighbors. And she hasn’t kicked me in the face since. -Val
giphy.com20/20An early experiment in alternative education: we pulled two armchairs and a sofa into the middle of the room. This became our houseboat and, for some time, our best game. The game was simple: we lived on the houseboat. Anything else could happen. We caught all of our own food. Sarah is five and a half years older than Rebecca and Elana, who are twins, and on the boat became both mother and teacher. She homeschooled Rebecca and Elana at sea. None of us can remember anything more specific about what happened on the houseboat, and none of us has ever been on a real houseboat, but this somehow still represents an ideal for how we would like to move through the world together.
- Elana, Rebecca, Sarah
