Today's Holidays: National Siblings Day, Golfer's Day, International Safety Pin Day, National Farm Animals Day
Website of the Day: http://www.hersheypark.com
Fact of the Day: I worked at a golf camp over the summer even though my only golf experience is mini golf.
Hershey Park used to be our family’s go-to vacation. There was something so magical about the whole experience: feeling that giddy excitement of waking up when it was still dark out to pack the car with luggage and begin our drive, smelling the chocolate as a sign that we were finally in Hershey, strategically planning our order of riding the roller coasters before we even got to the park, riding the escalators in the Hershey Lodge up and down as if they were a ride in themselves, and staying up past midnight in the hotel lobby, fiercely engaged in an all-consuming game of Dogopoly (Monopoly but with dogs as the spaces). When we return to this world of our childhood in Hershey Park, my brothers and I still feel a rush of joy as we walk by the large candy bars that we used to measure ourselves against to see if we’d be tall enough to ride all of the coasters.
As I reflect on my memories of Hershey Park that seem to have never escaped my mind nor my emotion, I’m reminded of the beauty of siblings. My two younger brothers, Jake and Sean, and I created a space for ourselves within Hershey that manifested into its magic- perhaps the place itself is magical in its never-ending supply of chocolate and family fun- but I would argue that we were, and still are, a part of something greater. It was not Hershey Park that shaped our sibling bond, but rather our bond that shaped Hershey Park. Our closeness created this intense experience of adventure, imagination, and, essentially, childhood, which transformed Hershey into a memorable time and place in our lives.
I have been working towards putting a short story collection recently, and as I sorted through all of my stories- old and new- looking for some sense of resemblance or theme, I realized that many of my fiction stories focused on brother-sister relationships. My bond with my brothers is not an external, isolated event that belongs to Hershey Park; it is a defining principle of my identity. I subconsciously wrote about brothers and sisters, because not only do I know the role, but I connect with it.
In all sibling relationships, there are always ups and downs- times when we get along and others when we cannot seem to agree. But these times of conflict are important; they highlight the foundation of all sibling relationships: unconditional love. Jake knew that when he complained about the music being on in the Prius in the morning on the way to school or yelled at me for not heating up the Prius in the winter, I’d eventually forgive him- just as I knew that he’d eventually forgive me when I was fed up with his “morning comments” and tossed his backpack out the door and made him walk the rest of the way to school. Yes, this principle of unconditional love should not give siblings an excuse to treat each other in such a way, but there’s also something to be said about inevitable forgiveness and unconditional love.
We do not always embrace empathy in the times when we should, but isn’t that life’s greatest struggle that we collectively share? The ability to understand others is one that is developed with maturity, yet even as we age, the challenge involved does not disappear. Not only do Jake and Sean play a pivotal role in my life as my playmates, best friends, and shapers of character, but they foster my understanding of others. We are, perhaps, the people who understand each other best in the world, because we grew up together. Our personalities diverge and converge. Our feelings intersect and contrast. Our time overlaps and our love remains constant. And through this process of growing up together, we learn, absorb, and, ultimately, understand.
I am incredibly thankful to be a part of something greater with Jake and Sean. Happy National Siblings Day! How did you celebrate? Comment below or on my instagram post! #NationalSiblingsDay #BeHappy #Celebrate