Every second of every day, there is a child born. Maybe they will be an only child, a brother, a sister, eldest, youngest, or maybe stuck in the middle. Everyone experiences family differently, especially if you happen to be the youngest.

Born the Youngest

My family is larger than most, and still to this day I don’t know all my cousins or nephews. However, I do know how my life was when I was born as the youngest out of five children. I remember I’d wake up sometimes to breakfast on the table, and I’d run off to be the first at the dinner table to eat. My mom would have me race against my siblings to eat to encourage me to eat more, and it worked.

My sisters were very supportive of me, but my brother was more kept to himself and was laid back. I didn’t know it yet, but the teenage brother, Marcelo, that I knew would sometimes show me hard love and get annoyed at me very easily, also would be my inspiration growing up.

Growing up with the rest

I was a very obedient kid. I’d always listen to my mom and little times I would rarely ever talk back. I was way more social than I am now, and my sisters, specifically my favorite sister out of the 4, Camila, kept me talkative and interacted with me the most.

Of course, as I grew up, circumstances arose and my family drifted apart. Sometimes I’d see them, but most of the time I was by myself. In this time, I was very distant from my sisters, but my brother was there. He was the one that gave me my first computer, and with it, a place for me to talk to him and sometimes play with him.

As I grew, the love I had for my family was still there, but it began to grow estranged. I’d spend so much time with myself that I forgot how to talk with my family and be comfortable talking to them. This is still a problem I face today, but a problem I hope to overcome.

Adapting to life with them

Eventually, around my teenage years, when other circumstances arose, I moved in with my eldest sister, Jessica, and that was an experience I’ll never forget. It was different, and I realized quickly that every single sibling I have had a different way of tackling life. Jessica was the strictest sibling to live with. She asked for basic chores to be done, but in comparison to my other siblings, her anger was way more noticeable. Jessica did teach me a lot in the time I lived with her. She taught me how to cook, clean, and how to properly manage myself whenever guests are around. The most important lesson she taught me was patience.

I then moved in with my sister, Camila, and the contrast was very different. Camila wasn’t angry at me, at least not all the time whenever I failed to do chores. She was understanding, a little loud about it, but understanding. This made me realize so much about how everyone is so vastly different from one another.

Black sheep of the family

Now, as much as I love my family, I must admit that I am vastly different than them in any sort of gatherings. I often feel very out of place whenever we are around, and despite my efforts to socialize, I just never feel comfortable doing it. My dreams and my goals are so different than the ones that they expected from me.

I have similarities but at the same time, I have such a separation from them as a person. They expected me to strive for the best, to strive to be rich or to be up in the ladder, but that was never the case for me. My dream was to always just have a peaceful life, broke or rich, it didn’t matter. As long as I got to see the next day, that was my ideal life.

Harsh Treatment

My family, as I’ve seen in other families, aren’t the worst family ever. In fact, they are great at supporting me and always strive to see me at my best. But at times, they get harsh, real harsh. I lived a different life than they have, and I’ll admit that I am not the strictest person on myself when I should be. This difference causes so many misunderstandings, and while I’m the type of person to hate whenever someone yells at me, yelling seems to be my family’s first response.

At times in my life, I’ve been very iffy about my feelings towards my family. Sometimes I hate them, and other times I love them. But that is how it is for every family. You will have bad days, and you will have good ones. You can’t fault others over their way of trying to help you; you can only guide them. Help them, help you.

Maturing

In my life, I was the most unstable during my time as a teenager. This is reasonable as being a teenager you are growing up with hormones and such given by puberty, which affects your temper and your behavior. However, now, I am old enough to realize that I was very stubborn, and very immature about many things that went on with my life.

One day, I stood back and thought about all that my family gave me: a house, food, people I can call and text anytime, and people I can rely on whenever I can’t stand on my own two feet.

Many other people, even some of my friends, don’t have that sort of shoulder to lean their head on. I became grateful, instead of resenting my family for the misunderstandings they have with me.

Always a Helping Hand

There has been a plethora of times in my life where I couldn’t face an issue by myself. I didn’t know what to do either, or I just simply couldn’t handle it alone. I wouldn’t be here today, in the state or position I am in, if it wasn’t for the helping hand of my family. There would always be someone to lean on in case things got rough for me, and no matter the misunderstandings or differences we have, they still love me no matter what.

If you ever despised your family for misunderstanding you, think about the things they have done for you. Misunderstandings are bound to happen, but that’s why forgiveness exists. Lend out a helping hand to those that help you too.

Deep Love

There is a love that goes deeper than any sort of bond when it comes to your family. Whether it be your sister, brother, or father or mother, you’d do anything to make sure they are well. Despite my misunderstandings with my family, I still want them to be safe. I’d never want to dream or even think about something bad happening to them, and they do the same to me.

When there are family members who depend on you, and family members you can depend on, this love is unwavering. A bond built not by blood, but by memories and trust. I believe wholeheartedly that blood is not what makes a family, but deep love.
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Be there for those you love, because they will want to be there for you too.