If you have a younger sibling, your life probably went something like this: You spent the first few years of your life as an only child, receiving all of the attention and pretty much doing anything you wanted. Then, suddenly, Mom had exciting news: You were going to be a big sister or brother! Sure, the news was exciting at first... until the baby actually got here. You started off by being super protective of your younger sibling, until you became annoyed by them getting all of your parents' attention, which probably made you want your parents to take them back.
Something changes when you get older, though. Your younger sibling starts being less of a nuisance and more of a friend. You may even regret the way you treated them when you were younger and didn't appreciate them as much as you do now. Let's take this time to let go of our regrets and thank our younger siblings for all of the things we may have overlooked.
1. For always taking the blame (even if they didn't have a choice).
It's so easy for an older brother or sister to point fingers and blame the baby for pretty much anything bad that happens. Last piece of cake went missing? She did it! Tracked mud throughout the house when you know we're supposed to take our shoes off at the door? He did it! Our little siblings have probably gotten more punishments than deserved, and we should thank them for that.
2. For asking the tough questions.
If you haven't sent your younger sibling to ask your mom a question that you were afraid of the answer to, do you actually have a younger sibling? Chances are you probably already knew the answer was no, and you thought their cute little face could change that. And you were also wrong.
3. For supporting us at our worst (and our best!).
Whether it is a breakup, an issue with friends, or an argument with your parents, your younger sibling always has your back. They will sit on the bathroom floor with you while you cry, listen from afar while you scream in your bedroom and refuse to let anyone in, and still think you're the greatest person in the world. On the other hand, they will see you accomplish tasks you have been working on for years and cry happy tears with you. And still, they think you're the greatest person in the world.
4. For living in your shadow until their time comes.
When you're the oldest, you don't know what it's like to live in somebody else's shadow, but your younger sibling does. They stood in the crowd and watched every award ceremony, every band performance, every game, and every graduation -- every moment that was all about you. And they were happy for you. They never got jealous that you were getting special attention -- they just wanted to experience those things one day, too.
5. For dealing with our overprotective qualities.
I'll be brave enough to say it -- the only person that can say bad things about my little sister is me. You probably have said the most awful things to your younger siblings, teased them for no reason, or picked arguments just to argue, but the second you find out somebody at school has been mean to your younger sibling, it's on. You will literally go to war with a high schooler if they have something bad to say about your little brother or sister -- which is realistically the last thing they want. But they deal with it anyway and would do the same for you.
6. For teaching us how to be role models.
From the age of 3, I had another human being that was looking up to me and wanted to be like me, no matter how horribly I treated her. That never changes despite any circumstance. It's tough to consistently do the right thing or even know what the right thing is, but when you have somebody looking up to you, the process is a little easier. Your younger sibling is always watching you, and though you may not always agree, they are proud of you and love you no matter what. And you feel the same way about them.
