Lessons from History: How Supportive Siblings Change Lives

What Does It Take to Be a Supportive Older Sibling?

Helene remembers how her brother tried to sell her once. Irving took her by the feet, hanging upside down, and screamed, “Little girl for sale!”

Well, she was a baby still. And she remembers this now with a longing for a past that can never be again.

What does it mean to be supportive?

Being supportive can mean taking the reins to pull someone to the right path or staying behind ready to catch when someone slips from making the wrong step. It does not always mean pushing someone to get them somewhere.

Just like Helene’s brother, Irving!

What makes a supportive older sibling?

Whether a sister or a brother, being older means being responsible for the younger ones as age usually implies maturity. Though not always the case, most older siblings are naturally expected to know more about the realities of the world as they have been here longer than the other.

Being a supportive older sibling is taking that responsibility into careful consideration.

Support from an older sibling can mean leading by example. Making good decisions in life to become someone the younger sibling can look up to. Just like the way Irving excelled in things he endeavored to achieve, inspiring Helene in ways that helped her become an amazing woman.

This love can also come in the form of giving good attention. The kind that can inspire confidence and acceptance in one’s self. The way Helene describes herself is a joy to the readers, as she sounds both honest and confident. This can be attributed to the times her doting older brother always made her feel beautiful, such as submitting her picture for a beauty contest and proudly praising her when she ended at the top 10 in a beauty pageant.

How older siblings treat the younger ones can make or break their being supportive. Genuine love, care, understanding, acceptance, and goodwill are usually the adjectives used to describe a supportive older sibling!