For those of you who haven't watched the ATLA TV animated series, this post contains some spoilers so proceed with caution.
Image 1: Somewhere around 2008 or 2009 on a family vacation, when selfies with a digital camera were all the rage
You've been warned.
Image 2: Somewhere around the summer of 2009 or 2010, the living room at our old house where we watched ATLA or in this case, taught our cousin and nephew how to play Rock Band/Guitar Hero
Okay..
Growing up, my younger brothers and I had our fair share of sibling squabbles. As the Ate, the older sister and eldest child, I often found myself at odds with my middle brother, the instigator of our conflicts. His habit of criticizing my every move and promptly reporting back to our mother might have seemed aggravating at the time, but in hindsight, I guess he had a funny way of being a protective brother. Meanwhile, our youngest brother's frequent tantrums added fuel to the fire, often resulting in me bearing the brunt of their confrontations. We were physical. Chases around the house. Punches thrown. Doors slammed. Someone got hurt. Someone cried. Then my parents separated us into corners of the living room with our hands up against the wall. It was just how we grew up.
Then, everything changed when the Fire Nation attacked. Haha just kidding, but things did change one summer break in high school (somewhere around 2009 or 2010, it's a little fuzzy). My middle brother introduced us to this cartoon show that ended a few years before on Nickelodeon. It's a tale of a group of kids saving the world, mastering the elements, and drawing inspiration from various Asian and Indigenous cultures. The show? "Avatar: The Last Airbender."
Intrigued by his enthusiasm, we sat down one afternoon on our summer break to watch a random episode. Nickelodeon did reruns of the show so around 3 pm during the week, we gathered around the TV and watched whatever episodes were available. I can't remember what episode we started, it definitely wasn't the first, but it was enough to captivate us completely. We knew we needed to do it justice and watch it from the beginning.
Before there was Netflix, there were DVDs and VHS tapes. We scoured through the DVD bins at Walmart for the ATLA DVDs, lucky enough to find the first book, "Water." We eventually found book 3, "Fire," but our quest for book 2, "Earth" proved futile. Undeterred, my middle brother did what he did best, he torrented book 2 and streamed it from his computer.
With logistics sorted, we settled into a summertime afternoon routine of watching "Avatar: The Last Airbender." We binge-watched the series in one summer, and needless to say, the show changed our dynamic as siblings.
We laughed over Sokka's antics, like when he quenched his thirst with the quenchiest, but also sus/sketchy (whatever generation bracket you call suspicious) cactus juice in the middle of the desert, or when he and Aang bowed to each other so hard while trying to practice fancy dinner etiquette, they collided and bumped heads. We yelled out "Yip yip" with Aang whenever he summoned Appa. We marveled over the different bending styles, mimicking each style with as much gusto as if we could really bend the elements at will. We roared in awe and wonder over Toph's incredible earth bending skills. We cried in Appa's lost days, sharing in Aang's anguish and aching for his lost companion. We sang our hearts out in the Cave of Two Lovers. We memorized Katara's monologue of the opening sequence, a monologue forever etched into our memories. We followed every trial and tribulation of Zuko's quest for redeeming his honor. We traveled with Team Avatar across the world and cheered on Aang as he entered his fully realized Avatar state to defeat Firelord Ozai's campaign for world domination. We went on quite the journey as siblings that summer.
"Avatar: The Last Airbender" brought me and my brothers closer. We lived and breathed Avatar. We navigated high school, college, and early adulthood referencing our favorite episodes, favorite lines, and reciting Uncle Iroh's famous proverbs in our best Zuko interpretation. We bought posters, plush toys, apparel, anything ATLA-related that we could get our hands on. We even named our 2000s 9-seater White Ford Excursion, "Appa." Wherever we drove around, it really felt like we were riding aboard Appa, soaring to the next destination.
Image 3: A mural of collected ATLA poster art that hangs on the wall now next to my closet
We were too young and naive to know at the time just how profound the themes were in Avatar. But, now in adulthood, we watch reruns of our beloved childhood show with a newfound, deep appreciation for the stories it tells of human emotion.
We appreciate what the show did to...
acknowledge our grief,
process family trauma,
be resilient,
never give up hope,
learn from our ancestors,
hold yourself and others accountable,
learn how to forgive,
practice humility and kindness and compassion,
fight for humanity,
choose love over hate,
value human life and loss,
determine your own destiny,
and discover how personal redemption meant ultimately being able to honor yourself and your journey.
ATLA's life lessons inevitably weaved into our own lives growing up. The inside jokes we shared weren't just for laughs; they were like secret codes, reminders of the profound moments we experienced alongside Aang and his friends. One particular weekend in 2017 stands out in our memories. We traveled to Emeryville to visit our middle brother while he still interned at Pixar, a weekend filled with laughter, reminiscing, and heartfelt conversations. As we sat together, we couldn't help but reflect on our own journeys - on our past selves, on the kids and teenagers we once were, on the adults we were growing into, and the growing pains of life in between.
In that moment, we realized just how much we had grown and how our dynamic changed over the years, yet how deeply connected we remained as siblings. It was a moment of clarity, a recognition of the bond that held us together through thick and thin. And for that, we aptly named our group text "Ember Island Players," a tribute to the memories we shared and the adventures that still lay ahead, a gentle nod to the show that had been with us every step of the way.
Image 4: 2017, when we memorialized our best sibling weekend hangout as "Ember Island"
We grew up together with Aang, Katara, Sokka, Toph, Zuko, Appa, Momo, and the rest of Team Avatar, and with the live-action premiering soon, we can't help but reflect on how powerfully timeless ATLA is and how inextricably relevant it is in the context of the current genocides unfolding across the world. How, as kids, we initially connected to the humor, to the spirit of youthfulness, adventure, courage, and growing up, and how, as adults now, we connect to its deeper themes of grief, honor, trauma, suffering, humanity, and love. ATLA is a beautifully humanistic series.
Image 5: 2019, still reminiscing of the show and realizing how profound and timeless the themes spoke to humanity were
My brothers and I have the shared experience of growing up and maturing with the Avatar. Avatar taught us more than just the art of bending or the intricacies of its lore. It taught us the profound beauty of siblinghood, of the unbreakable bond you share with your siblings, of the privilege and blessing of having siblings. That through the laughter and tears, victories and defeats, in the end, love will always be the strongest element binding us together.
To all those fortunate enough to have siblings or chosen siblings, take a moment to tell them you love them, for this journey of life is made a little more bearable with your siblings at your side.
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