Creating A New Sisterly Bond*

After reading "The Boy Who Became a Muni Bird", I couldn’t believe how much the brother, sister relationship reminded me of my relationship with my sisters. Though I have never deprived them of food when they were hungry, I have never been able to share food with them off the same utensil. Moreover, I quivered at the thought of sharing food with them that they had already taken a bite of. While some might relate to my paranoia about sharing food off the same utensil or the same bite, I never had a problem doing such things with my parents or close friends. Sipping off the same straw, biting into the same sandwich, or licking off the same spoon wasn’t a problem unless these sips, bites or licks were at the requests of my sisters.
Naturally, my sisters never understand my grossed-out attitude towards them and truth be told, I never could quite explain my fear. I know that they brushed their teeth and our eating habits/manners were all the same since the same parents with high expectations raised us, nevertheless I was some how disturbed by their saliva or their lips touching my food. With the lack of explanation of why I didn’t want to share with my sisters but didn’t mind sharing with my friends or parents, I certainly hurt their feelings. Like the older sister in "The Boy Who Became A Muni Bird", by refusing to let my sisters take a bite of my food, or by deferring their offer for me to take a bite of theirs, I interrupted the social order or sisterly behavior. In the muni bird story, the denial of food by the older sister to her brother, “signals that he quite literally has no ade (sister). Her lack of assistance, denial of obligation and unwillingness to fulfill a role snaps the thread of the social bond”(29) . I acted more sisterly towards strangers and friends than I did to my own kin and for that, I now feel horrible. I denied the bond sisters make with each other because I couldn’t share food with them. Maybe that’s why we’re still not the closet sisters today?
It’s hard to say why my relationship with my twin sisters isn’t as close as other relationships of siblings I know, however I do know that today I can share my food with them, off the same utensil or the same bite. Both my parents have noticed my sharing of food in recent years and I think it actually has made them as happy as it has made my sisters. A bond has been created and it is only getting stronger. Food is never just food, but symbolically expresses relationships with others. Sharing a meal my mother or father has cooked by giving bites and tastes of their food from my plate, to my sisters--captures the family love, joy, and friendship that runs deep within all of us. If Kellie or Allyson is reading this right now, I truly apologize for my past paranoia about sharing food with you and I hope that sometime soon we can nibble off of something delicious together!!