If your relationship with your sister is struggling, you should make improving it a priority.
Why is your relationship with your sister struggling to begin with?Maybe the two of you had an unpleasant dichotomy as children - you were a popular cheerleader she was an acne-ridden band geek, or vice versa.If one of you was jealous of the other throughout your adolescence, the resentment may have seeped into your adult lives.The bottom line is, you're all grown up now, and it's time to let go of high school animosity.If you were the underdog, you have to forgive your sister for being popular.What would you have done if you had been in her shoes?Would you have downplayed your good looks and your social graces so that you would be on a level playing field with your unpopular sister?Probably not.She was probably trying to stay in the "in" crowd just as hard as you were trying to gain acceptance.If you were the popular one and your sister was the "loser," you should try to be compassionate to how difficult it was for her.She probably lived her life being envious and jealous of you for your good fortune with making friends.She wanted to enjoy the same acceptance that you did, but instead she was met with perpetual rejection.It is very hard to be in outsider as an adolescent, and when someone is an outsider and they have a sibling who is very popular, they often feel doubly ashamed and embarrassed of their lacking social skills.If you made fun of your sister or you teased her for being unpopular, you have to apologize to her for causing her more pain than she already had to endure.Even if you never made fun of your sister for being unpopular in comparison to yourself, you should still try to understand the pain she felt.Maybe the two of you were great friends while you were growing up, and you grew apart after high school graduation. Your lives went in two very different directions, and your relationship suffered as a result. Sometimes absence does not make the heart grow fonder. Sometimes absence makes people forget about the bond that they shared. Just because the two of you are leading very different lives and you are two very different women doesn't mean that you can still be close. Even if you're separated by a great distance, you can still make an effort to stay in touch with each other so that your relationship remains intact. Call each other every week - or more if something exciting happens in one of your lives.If the two of you were the same, things wouldn't be as interesting. It can be hard to let go of the tight relationship that you shared as children and adolescents, but you have to open your mind to exploring and unleashing the potential of your adult sisterhood. If the telephone is too expensive to keep up on a weekly basis, then your computer can be very helpful for keeping in touch - e-mail each other or talk on instant messenger.If the two of you haven't been in contact for an extended period of time, then a handwritten letter can help to break the ice.
