"Sibs"

Birthing order has been a focus for many years as an influence/insight as to the person you eventually grow to be. I have been struggling with this due to the fact that birthing order really has not applied to me. Cause I am the youngest of the older kids, oldest of the younger kids and really smack dab in the middle of the whole crew. So I could take any of the roles and make them my experience.

Right from the cover of Time magazine this month, siblings very much influence the person you are. Well hell yea, I could have told you that. I had the advantage of watching my older sibs, and not make the same mistakes as them. On the other hand I longed to have their good grades...thanks alot Jo Ellen and Griff, which by the way never happend. Be as popular as Judy, Miss cheerleader and Prom Queen. Date cute guys,like Janet,at Kent State would have three dates a weekend and you name it Sorority, Flasherette, Homecoming Queen. When they all went away to college and there I was the oldest of the last four. So, I all the sudden I had this leadership role that I really did not want, but guess what I got it.

Mom and Dad would leave me in charge, I would make up games so the kids would clean the house. They actually listened to me. It was great! I gave them lam-o prizes , so that only worked a few times. John and Jerry really liked Rob and Ron,who started coming around when I was 13, so the boys would basically get along with me so they could hang with us. And my brothers were pretty entertaining too. We all covered for each other.

Then there was the Jeanie factor. Jeanie was joined at my hip all through middle shool years. I'd wait for her at the bus stop after school, I tutored her in the summers, and take her with me to baseball games, the park(where all my friends would hang out.) I guess I thought I was watching her, but my mom I am sure, had her watching me, ..hellooo Jeanie tells all. Mouth that ate Cleveland. And it always wasn't exactly correct in her interpretation, but Mac would get the basic info. Enough to ask more questions.

As the article states, you are with your siblings more than your spouse or friends. And you interact with brothers and sisters even more than your parents. The article explains, if you have a fight with a sibling you still had to end up in the same house, most likely the same bedroom, so you had to work it out.Of course this would influence how you deal with people in adult life.Wow! So it's not the mothers fault if you are all screwed up. So do ya think my brother is messed up cause I dropped the ceramic Kool-aid pitcher on his head down the clothes shute and it broke into a million pieces. I was 6 and he was 4.
This has finally made sense to me. Even more so than parents your siblings are the ones that make up who you turn out to be.

Now I am freaked out that Bri and Robby may have issues because of the way I threw them together for everything. Why, you ask? Cause it was a heck of a lot easier for me to take them to one place. Bri was in Gymnastics, I signed the boy up. He was there anyways....Why not get some exercise? Hey get off my case. He got trophies. And not just the lam-o participation kind. He was good. Freak'n Lynn Swan took ballet for God's sake. Alright when Robby really complained,about it I took him out. I still say that's why he had such good balance in soccer.


Then came the swimming thing. Well that turned out pretty good for both. I don't feel guilty about that one. Although, I do believe the tortureous practices marred them both for life, NOT. I do remember telling them over and over, you have to watch each other's backs, cause that's your only brother, or sister. You 'll have them for life.

I do think they have some special bonds, and I think they understand the opposite sex a little better cause they had to deal with each other. Like when Bri freaked out befor a dance when her hair was in a big fat "up-do". Or when Robby became obscessed with sports, and would be soo upset if the Cubbies lost. Or the fights they would have about folding clothes or cleaning house. I am sure that has helped them in thier adult lives.They have seen each other experience mistakes,joys,sadness, disappointmets,and accomplishments. Watch each other, problem solve, handle conflict, and fall in love and out of it, graduations, weddings, and funerals.

I just know that it makes me feel better that they live in the same city when we are some place else. Cause you know there is someone that knows you a little better than even your friends, or spouse, or even parents for that matter. It's your sib...and they really know you, even if you think they don't. That's pretty cool. Now if we could just get Sidney and Ozzie to understand that.