Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Tales from the Trenches: I think it's because I'm a middle child.

LeAnne- 1970
Amy- 1973
Billy- 1977
"Dump"- 1984
See, I'm a middle child.  I've spent my life trying to make sure that everything is good and right and equal. 

Life is not always good and you can't always make it that way for others.

Life isn't always right and you can't always make it that way for others.

Life isn't always equal and as much as you try, sometimes it doesn't always work out that way, either. 

It doesn't mean that you can't still try.

My crubbies from yesterdays post I think stems from all of that.  We try our darnedest to teach K- that, "It's not all about you."  That's not always what happens, but it's a work in progress.  Still, she's good at being thoughtful of those around her.  She's just not always happy when she doesn't win the prize (like the other night.)

K- is intolerant of any injustice.  We're not talking the, "His piece is bigger than mine," but more chewable topics of people being mistreated, general inequalities of childhood and empathy. 

K- tries to make things right.  She, too, is a middle child.  I term her as the "only-but-not" child.  I think that fighting for truth, justice and the American way (Corey Feldman in the Lost Boys comes to mind) is just something that she gets from the combo of being a middle and being raised by a middle.

As a middle, I don't like conflict.  I do everything that I can to fix or make people happy so that I don't have to deal with unhappiness.  I've gone places I shouldn't, I've made decisions that I shouldn't have and rescued my brother out of stupid messes that I shouldn't have been there ripping him out of only because I'm his sister and a middle kid. 

This middle kid stuff is some exhausting work.

So, I'm sorry for my crabbiness, but I'm blaming it on middle child syndrome. 

First, middle or last?  What's your take on birth placement and personalities?

1 comment:

Rach said...

I totally believe in birth order having an impact on your life and behavior. Me? I'm an oldest. I'm insanely responsible and worry about everything.

Jessie? Youngest and was utterly irresponsible and carefree--rather Holly Golightly, really--for much of our lives. She's MUCH better now that she's a wife and mama.

Lily? Now, she's interesting. She was a youngest, and then an only and now an oldest/middle. She's all sorts of mixed up, and has a tendency to act out the oldest/middle role.

Ellie? Totally a youngest. Carefree, couldn't give a care about anything. The world is her lollipop gosh darnit. :o)