“Did you get a lot of presents growing up? Because you were the only child?
“Didn’t you get lonely?”
“Did you ever wish you had a brother or sister?”
“Were you spoiled?”
Alright. So, maybe.
Growing up as an only child wasn’t weird to me -- I was used to it, I did it every day, it was my life. Even one of my very first best friends was an only child. When I was really little I’d have play dates and whatnot, and all of those friends had siblings, but it didn’t really phase me.
It was pretty chill. My parents weren’t super strict; they weren’t super laid-back either. They cared a lot but not too much that they suffocated me. All of my neighbors had brothers and sisters and we all played together and it was fine. It got a little weird when they got into fights with their siblings or were getting yelled at by a parent, but other than that it was cool.
There were times I wished I had an older sibling. They could pick me up from a friend’s house when it was dinner time just like their brothers and sisters did with them. I’d have someone to stick up for me when I was too shy and scared to do it myself. I’d have someone to look up to and someone to be there for me, always. But I don’t have an older brother or an older sister, and that’s not the case. Probably if I had a sibling growing up, I might have turned out differently or maybe I just would’ve found my voice sooner. School wasn’t hard for me, making friends wasn’t that hard either but I would have had a more positive experience if back then, I was the way I am now.
I don’t have any cousins really, either. I mean, I do, but they were kind of really my dad’s and they’re way older than me so it’s not like we hung out on the weekends. All I had was my little nuclear family…I guess I was spoiled; especially around Christmas. The holidays were always all about me because I was all there was. I used to get a nice amount of gifts between Hanukkah, Christmas, and my birthday…so yes. I was definitely spoiled. My family was always around for my birthday because it’s the day after Christmas so, who goes to work the day after Christmas? Well a lot of people apparently and I learned that the hard way. I threw a fit when I found out that my dad was going to work on my birthday and I was really bratty about it. I made him feel really bad when it was me who needed a talking to. I was upset that things were happening that weren’t birthday-related but after being admonished by my mom, I realized that there are bigger things than me and that I’m not the center of the universe (as much as I always thought).
I’m definitely more laid-back about everything nowadays. My birthday just passed and I had friends asking me what I was doing and I’d say “nothing, why?” I should probably be more excited about it, but I’m just used to no one being around…it is Christmas and people are with their families so I don’t expect much and I’m totally fine with it. Birthdays come once a year (or twice if you count half birthdays, which I totally do) but celebrations can happen whenever you want them to. Besides, when it comes to birthdays, it is all about you.
