From both Jeanie Bueller and Ferris Bueller to junior Henry Monahan and freshman Andrew Monahan, learning to co-exist peacefully is something that many siblings have had to go through. 

However, for the Monahans, peacefulness and harmony between them both was something that they might have simply been gifted with. The real secret goes between the amount of time that they actually spend together, their sense of personality, and the sense of humor that both brothers share.

“Me and Andrew both share a room, so that means that none of us can claim a certain space as our ‘own space’ and just live there,” Henry said. “I know a lot of people will go to their rooms and just stay there by themselves, but the fact that we share a room means that we are forced to spend time together.”  

While it sure wouldn’t be nice to share a room with someone, it might just be what some brothers and sisters need.

“I think siblings are some of the people you’ll have relationships with your whole life — whether you’d like to or not, you’re connected to them,” Henry said. “Having a good relationship with your sibling makes it very nice to have someone who I can just talk to if I want to.”

Nonetheless, their humor and personality is what holds them together.

“We tell pretty much the exact same jokes and we even kind of sound the same,” Henry said.

Truthfully, though, the bond that the brothers share is something that benefits both of them in the long-run.

“It does come in handy,” Andrew said. “During really long family vacations, we do get sick of each other if we are in the car, but we get sick of each other a lot less easily than some families, making trips way more fun.”

However, this sibling dynamic might not serve them very well in the future.

“I think a lot of good has come from things in my life simply because Henry did them first,” Andrew said. “It’s not very independent, I will admit, but it has led me to some things that I do also enjoy because we share a lot of common interests. Maybe we share a common interest because I only do the things he does, but that’s not true. I also enjoy them despite what he might say.”

While they have learned to grow past their differences and reflect on what they share in common, they inadvertently learn to get along and live with it. 

“Most siblings hate each other’s guts and they wish the other would die and go off to college,” Andrew said. “But me and Henry — we’re not like those kinds of siblings.”