Recently, I was made aware of an apparently national holiday called “National Middle Child Day.” I was surprised because no one had ever made me this known to me, and I initially credited my lack of knowledge about it to Middle Child Syndrome. Aka, a condition under which the middle child is essentially forgotten about. So, of course, no one had made me aware of the holiday -- they probably forgot I even was a middle child.
A large part of Middle Child Syndrome is the lack of an obvious role the middle child plays in a family. For example, the oldest child is typically considered the leader and general role model for their younger siblings. The youngest child is the baby of the family, the one most likely to be lathered in attention and coddled.
In a quest to find a common (and positive) definition for the role of the middle child, I sought help from Urban Dictionary, which is, admittedly, a generally horrible idea. UD says middle children tend to “misbehave to get attention, work as little as possible, and become the ‘loner’ of the family.” However, we also apparently “go with the flow, play the peacemaker, and be very creative.” Though I initially regretted my search, I made peace with it in the end.
Aside from how random websites tell me I should feel, I myself feel grateful rather than unhappy to be a middle child. I like that I have someone to look up to, but also someone to be a role model for (I hope). I like being sandwiched between two people because contrary to popular belief, it doesn’t make me feel forgotten, but rather an intricate part of my family.
I liked that I was able to carefully watch my older brother navigate the tumultuous waters of applying to college and then experience the first actual year of college. I knew better what to do -- not let the stress get to me and understand that it would all work out in the end -- and what not to do -- save all my homework for the morning before it was due. I liked that I was able to serve as a guide for my younger sister as she applied to college and chose the one that was best for her. I hope I reminded her of all the things I learned from my brother.
Proximity in age often indicates closeness, and I like that I am so close in age to both my siblings. I feel as though I can easily relate to both of their lives since I have either just experienced what they have or am about to experience something they just have. I have different relationships with the both of them and it is a nice balance to be able to reach out to both of them no matter the circumstance.
At the end of the day, though I occasionally lose some attention to my elder or baby sibling, I like my position in the middle. I have two people I love more than anything on either side of me no matter what -- and, admittedly, it’s also helpful at times when I do something wrong and I don’t get attention for it. Also, I’m among some great middle children in this world, including but not limited to Madonna and Martin Luther King Jr. In conclusion, I can’t wait to make my entire family celebrate me this August 12.
