Sessions with Sydney is a weekly column by features editor Sydney Ray. For more installments of Sydney’s ideas, opinions and ramblings, check out the opinions page, and check back every Friday for a new issue.

My 13-year-old sister Lauren and I get along okay sometimes. We both know that the other loves us, but it is hard to put aside our differences and act appreciatively.

Clothes come between more than almost anything else. She likes to borrow my clothes, and I usually let her. However, once she has worn a particular item, it sometimes takes her weeks on end to return it to me after she washes it. In the meantime, I am going crazy trying to look for the item because I forget that I loaned it to her and believe it is lost.

Another common disagreement we seem to have is when I try to tell her about my experiences. I will share knowledge I believe can be relevant and helpful to her life, but she is rarely receptive. This frustrates me, because I believe I can spare her from negative consequences that occur from experiences I have already had, but I also realize she must make her own mistakes to learn from them.

Despite our frequent fighting, there is one thing we can always come together to agree on: we love our brother. The relationship we have with 10-year-old Aaron is pretty simple, perhaps because he has Down syndrome. Play time, hanging out and watching movies bring us closer to him, and we never have any drama.

It would be nice if every relationship was a cake walk, but that’s not how they usually work. With Aaron, the simplicity of his mind and a lack of issues are the backbone for healthy relationships, but that does not mean those with issues cannot have healthy relationships, too.

Sibling relationships are particularly difficult. Brothers and sisters are forced to live in the same house, but different rules apply to each kid, in many situations. On top of that, the jealousy amongst siblings – all of whom are in a struggle to achieve the ultimate goal of receiving that gratifying attention from mom and dad – leads to fighting.

If everyone could treat each other the way Aaron is – or at least should be – treated, there would be so much more satisfaction and love in the world. Patience, perseverance and adoration are the key ingredients in excellent relationships, and having them with siblings is very worthwhile, despite the wardrobe heartache my sister causes!

For more Sessions with Sydney, check out the opinions page.