Stuck In The Middle

You weren’t the first baby, the first girl or even the youngest. You are smack dab between your older sister and younger brother and constantly vying for attention from us. Word on the street is that middle children often lose out to their older or younger siblings; along for the ride but never the center of attention.

But here are some reasons why you are the luckiest kid in the family:

1. You were given a best friend straight out of the womb. A playmate, an adventure buddy, an enemy to pick fights with. You may have had to learn to share earlier than your older sister, but getting a friend to play alongside and to laugh with is irreplaceable.
2. You get to have a big sister. You have someone to show you the world. To push you to try new things and to have countless sleepovers with. You get to be someone’s “little sister” and speaking from experience, it’s a pretty cool gig. She will pave the way for you, but you’ll get to write your own story along the way.
3. You get to be a mentor to your little brother. Just like you, he was born with two built-in best friends, but now you get to be the “older, wiser” big sibling to show him all the things. You have a boy to dig worms, to catch bugs and to do all the dangerous things with.
4. You got parents that weren’t rookies. I mean, you are quite the opposite of your older sister, but we came in with more knowledge and experience. And, I didn’t drop you — see, experience is key. {Unclutch your pearls, older sister is fine. Everything is fine.}
5. You have quite the wardrobe. With hand-me-downs and pieces picked just for you, you have plenty of clothes to wear for five minutes and then casually toss on the living room floor.

You may not get all the attention every day, but you have four people that love you so fiercely. You are a firecracker full of spunk, wit and comedic timing. You make us laugh daily, despite pushing me to my limit every single day. Our family would not be complete without you and while you are lucky to be the middle child, we are the lucky ones that get to share this life with you.

I can’t wait to see all that you do in your life and I know being a middle child will have a lasting impact as you grow into the person you are meant to be.