Sibling rivalry

My sister and I were pretty close growing up. We shared a room and would pretend that we were married- she to Donny Osmond and me to Bobby Sherman or Shaun Cassidy (did I just write that?) We did a lot together, double dated, even dating brothers. There were these two guys when I was about 14, Jeff and David. My sister and I were just friends with these guys, but really enjoyed their company, so Friday night she'd "date" Jeff and I'd "date" David and Saturday night we'd switch.
She is two years my senior (I'm the bay-bee), skinny as a rail and looked like Jaqueline Smith. I was sooooo envious of her, but loved her muchly. I thought she was a bit of an airhead. I called her illiterate when I was an 8th grader. She told our Mom that I called her a bad name. I said, "See what I mean?" I Still don't understand why I got in trouble (heehee). If she got a C in Math, my parents were full of glee, but let me make a B in anything, and I better have a damned good reason. She lives on the other side of the continent now, about as far from me as you can get without leaving the counterminious states. She has 3 wonderful boys, 2 military, one still in high school. Don't get to see her much.
My brother and I were a different story. Being the oldest I supposed he felt some sort of responsibility for us, mostly to be as big a pain in the toucus as possible. We fought like crazy- verbally and physically. I'm surprised we both survived without more injury. I suppose y'all know what they say about God loving fools and drunks... Anyhoo, my brother and I would chase each other around the house, knocking each other down, swinging at each other, I don't know how my parents didn't kill us both. I still remember the last fight we ever got into- close to 25 years ago. I had a kitchen knife and he had a bat. I was, by far, the most injured with a fat, bloody lip and him probably unscathed. He had just broken my door down to my bedroom and we stood there in a standoff, heaving chests and batched expressions. I remember very clearly thinking, "Man, this has gone too far." My brother must have thought the same thing because he put the bat down and walked away. We never hit each other again. My parents must have been thrilled!
So what got me thinking all these thinks? My three children (17, 9, and 3) have been at each others throats for the last 2 days, but took a break tonight to wrestle with each other on the living room floor. It's kinda funny to see a three year old trying to pin a kid 4 times her size. Pete got hers in as well. My brother and I would do that sometimes, just wrestle all over the damn living room, my mother would put up her feet and her book and just watch us, first cheering this one, then that.

Funny what you miss, isn't it?