Sibling relationships are unique in each family. They can be the ties that bind people together or sibling rivalry can prevail. For Junior Meredith Bethea, having a sibling is a great thing in her life.
Meredith and her brother Christian share a close connection and understanding of one another. They have rarely, if ever, fought and don’t see value in fighting.
“We don’t have a normal relationship like other brothers and sisters do,” Meredith said. “We have never fought in our entire life, ever. We’ve never had one argument; we just don’t understand the point of fighting.”
Meredith and Christian are close in age; they are three years apart. Throughout their childhood, they built countless pillow forts, played Pokémon Go in the park, and explored a variety of places and things.
“I think us being somewhat close in age has a role in [us being close] and how our parents raised us to grow up being nice and understanding to each other,” Meredith said. “If he asks me for a favor, I’ll do it for him because I know that if I ask him for a favor, he’ll do it for me.”
Everyone goes through hardships and struggles in life—whether they’re school-related or personal—and having a sibling is like having a built-in support system. They witness one another’s highs and lows and can provide valuable perspectives and lessons.
“No matter who it is, [our siblings are] all people,” Meredith said. “We all go through things and fighting is just a waste of time, when you could just learn [from them]. Take the arguments that you would have had and take them as a learning experience of how other people work and cope with things. By doing that, it grows your relationship with one another and adds another person that you can rely on to have your back.”
Meredith has looked up to Christian her entire life. She can rely on him for anything, and they are always there for each other; he is her role model.
He’s always there. If I need any advice or anything, we work together; we don’t work against each other.
— Meredith Bethea
“He has been a role model to me because I look up to him,” Meredith said. “I think he knows that, so he just wants to be the best version of himself for me. We communicate and really work through things. He’s always there. If I need any advice or anything, we work together; we don’t work against each other.”
Along with her close relationship with her brother, she has a very strong connection with her family as a whole. Together, they have traveled to various places including Puerto Rico, Arizona, Costa Rica, Florida, New York, Georgia, and London. Soon, they will be going to Ireland, and then to Hawaii over winter break.
The close-knit Betheas love their adventures and journeys together. Meredith loves traveling with them because they are fun to be around and always make each trip fun and enjoyable.
“I enjoy traveling with my family because we’re all super outgoing and goofy, so anything that we do together is just fun,” Meredith said. “I look forward to spending time with my family because we are pretty close; with my brother, I know it’s always going to be a good time.”
One of Meredith’s favorite vacations she took with her family was her trip to Costa Rica earlier this year. According to Meredith, “Everything there was so unreal and magical.” The Bethea family rode on catamarans, relaxed on the beach, and grew their connections, making them stronger. To Meredith, traveling as a family is important because it has made her family relationships stronger, and she gets to have fun with the people she’s grown up with.
“It’s important to build long-lasting bonds with your family because they’re always going to be in your life,” Meredith said. “I think it’s important to go out and adventure with them and find new things with the people that you feel the closest with.”
