An Experiment in Sibling-ship

“You've bought a new house? Are you swallowing the anchor?” and the unequivocal answer is “No”. Then why buy a house in the middle of the desert? Well, it's an experiment that seems to make sense. David has three sibs … all unattached. It seemed to make sense to pool our resources, find a large enough house to accommodate us all and live together. It's not a new concept. Multi-generational families having been sharing homes for all time. Some countries and ethnic groups do it more often than others. So sibs sharing a house isn't all that unusual. It's not as common in the USA, but we figured we'd give it a try.

Having family living together provides a built-in support system, a sharing of responsibility and finances and a wonderful way for families to meld and take care of each other as they age. There are drawbacks, of course. We've all been independent for most of our lives, living apart from the sibs and making our own way in the world. We have different philosophies, different politics, different tastes in decorating and style. Now there are others who need to be consulted before you paint a room lavender or buy new living room furniture. We don't necessarily need total consensus, but it's nice when there's some agreement.

Honestly, over the past few weeks when stress levels have been particularly high and we're all exhausted from the move, we've had our moments. We've bickered and squabbled a bit. We've disagreed. But so far, the experiment seems to be working. Everyone has managed to compromise enough to accommodate a peaceful co-existence.