April 10, 2018 (Tuesday)
National Sibling Day is a day to appreciate and cherish your brothers and sisters. Siblings are truly a special blessing that we probably all too often take for granted. They are often our best friends and supporters through life. Another reason to celebrate is that not everyone is lucky enough to have siblings. Their lives are significantly different growing up, and throughout life.
National Sibling Day is similar to Brothers and Sisters Day, which is celebrated on May 2nd.
Claudia A. Evart, President and Founder of this day, initiated National Sibling Day after the tragic deaths of her brother and sister. Twenty two state governors have issued proclamation on this day. At least one president has supported it, but no presidential proclamation or act of congress has made this a true “National ” day.
It is a good day to get in touch with your siblings. Like many others, I am part of a family that has three sets of children: 1. Charles (oldest), 2-3. Twins Elva Mae and Melva Faye. My mother remarried and had 3 children: 1. Joe 2. Jimmy and 3. Mary Ellen. My father remarried and had one daughter: 1. Brenda Joyce. Counting them up, we discover that there are seven in all. Jimmy died in 1983 at the age of 33. The rest of us are still living. The seven of us had 19 children. All our grandparents, parents and step-parents have passed on. All the siblings, except me, live in the Houston area.
Siblings sometimes drift apart as each has a family of his or her own, and business opportunities or employment causes folks to move to other places, some of them far away from siblings.
We can celebrate National Sibling Day in a variety of ways. It’s a great time to be thankful for your sibling. But, most importantly get in touch with your siblings. Visit them if they live nearby. Call them, if they live far away. Send them a card, a letter, gifts, or flowers.
Before the Industrial Revolution, family members lived at home, or close to home. In our modern world, families can be separated for thousands of miles, and communication usually grows weaker at time goes by. National Sibling Day gives us an occasion to celebrate each other and take the time to get together if possible.