The siblings

MY siblings. That's who I'm talking about.

You know, I would do just about anything for any one of them - even the one that I don't get along with.
We rarely hang out. I think I've mentioned it on here before.

Growing up, I always thought that we were close. Turns out that we're not. After my mom died, we sort of just fell apart. We don't really get together. We don't really go out. We honestly suck at this sibling thing.

I see my oldest brother a few times per year - maybe. The excuse there is that he works crazy hours and we live 2 1/2 hours away from each other.
I see my sister about the same number of times. This time the excuse is that she lives in Mexico or Tucson or where ever it is that she has chosen for the year. Sun seeker, that one. Give her a margarita and some hot sunshine, and she is a happy girl.
I also see my just-older-than-me brother only a few times per year. Oddly, he only lives 7 miles away from me. We just don't get along. Never really have, but it doesn't help that he doesn't like my wife, and I don't really like his all that much.
Then, there's the baby brother. I see him most (even though he also lives 2 1/2 hours away) because we get along the best and because he comes up this way fairly often to visit my dad. Even so, it's not frequent at all.

All that being said, I would bend over backwards to help any of them if necessary.
I bailed one of them out of jail once.
I spent a week with one of them when he was suicidal. (Man, was he sick of me by the end of that week.)
I've pretended to be happy about a couple of seriously sketchy life choices (which actually turned out great in the end).

Sometimes, one of us can be an asshole or a pain in the ass.
At one time or another, each one of us have been married to (or have dated long-term) a complete screw-up that nobody approves of.
A few of us have some serious competitive issues.
At least two of us can be very bitchy.
I would venture to guess that all of us have a chip on a shoulder.

We don't see eye-to-eye politically.
We don't even remotely agree on gun control, abortion, hunting, racial inequities, animal rights, conspiracy theories, government spending, voting, paper or plastic, climate change...
Hell, we can't even agree on which beer to drink.
(We are, however, united in our don't-really-give-two-shakes attitude about religion.)

HOWEVER, do NOT try to stop me from sharing in their happiness. Do NOT tell me to hurry up a visit with one of them.
We get together so infrequently that the time that we do spend is valued and precious and fun even if we're arguing about something...
So, don't tell me that we're not close. I know that it's not true even though it seems to be. I know that all of them would do anything for me. I know that my kids would be supremely cared for if something happened to me and Bub. I know that I am loved by all of them even though I never see them.
Don't try to tell me otherwise.