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CaseBarnettLaw.com
OCTOBER 2019
YOUR FIRST FRIEND The Relationship Between Siblings
The Beatles in the ‘80s
Finn and Harlow have been talking about what they want to be for Halloween since last Halloween. Right now, Finn is really into Dr. Seuss books and he wants to be the Once-ler from “The Lorax.” Meanwhile, Harlow is still obsessed with Rapunzel, so that’s who she wants to be for Halloween. It looks like Nicole has been roped into being the Lorax and Harlow wants me to be Flynn Rider. Nicole always wishes for a family dress-up scenario, but it looks like that will never happen again (remember last year when Finn and Nicole were a bat and vampire, and Harlow and I were Moana and Maui?). It’s really cool to see Finn and Harlow interact. They’re still so young, but their unique personalities are so strong. They can wind each other up sometimes, but for the most part, they play together incredibly well. I really like watching them do their thing. Finn and Harlow are similar in age to my sister and me, so it’s neat to see that sibling relationship form from a different perspective. I’m 2 1/2 years older than my sister, Maggie, and we were really close as kids. Maggie was the first friend I ever had. We were also incredibly competitive. We played a lot of sports together, usually basketball or golf, and we could really get after it. When we went head to head, Maggie never wanted me to cut her any slack, and I never did. Maggie never lost that competitive spark from childhood, and she has always been good at everything she does. She was all-state in high school and went to NYU to play basketball. As her big brother, I think it’s fair if I take half credit for her basketball skills — which is why she quit basketball after her freshman year. I’m kidding, of course. Maggie quit playing basketball because she didn’t want to spend her whole time in Manhattan in a gym. This was a great decision for her because being in New York let Maggie blossom as a human. She came out when she was a freshman in college, and I can only imagine how hard that was for her to do, being so far from home. I remember being really impressed by my sister when she was in college, and I’m still proud of her today. It’s cool to see your sibling grow and achieve success. After attending law school in San Francisco, Maggie moved back to NYC. Today,
Maggie and Me in the ‘80s
Finn and Harlow in Washington, D.C.
Finn and Harlow in 2017
Maggie does in-house project management and business development for different companies. To be honest, I never understand that kind of stuff, but I know she’s great at it. I don’t get to see Maggie very often because she still lives in New York, but our parents did a good job of helping us build bridges when we were younger. Even if we haven’t talked for a while, I can get on the phone with Maggie and have a meaningful conversation. That’s the kind of relationship I hope Finn and Harlow have when they’re adults.
Nicole and I have always talked about wanting to make sure our family is super close. We want our kids to be friends. They don’t have to be best friends, but I
know from experience the importance of having a sibling who has your back. Likewise, if Maggie ever needs me, I’d be there in a heartbeat. That’s what siblings are for.
–Case Barnett
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