The middle child.

How many of you are a middle child?

Much has been written and discussed about middle children.
Some good, some not so good but all with a grain of truth non the less.
Middle Child Syndrome is the feeling of exclusion.
The older child/children in a family get privileges and responsibilities
The younger receive more indulgences than the older siblings.

Enter the Middle Child and all is but forgotten.
I am a middle child.
Oh, I did not know you even existed said some people when I would tell them who my parents were.
I was sure your parents had 1 and 2 and 4 and 5, naming my siblings.
Never heard your name come up anywhere said others.

Well, that is probably because I am invisible I would reply.
Invisible? Oh yes.
Middle children are invisible.

I always thought I was adopted as Mum had newspaper notices announcing the birth of all my siblings.

Mine was missing

I know I was not a middle child when I was born, but the rot had already started to sink in

I once asked Mum why I had not been announced,so to speak. Her answer was that she was overwhelmed to have another child, one who she did not really want. She always told me she should never have had me.

She must have recovered though as the next two siblings had birth notices.

I guess back in those days there was no birth control so kids were born evn if not really planned .

I was a loner as a youngster. Always did my own thing. Made my own fun and just kept out of Mums way

At my Fathers funeral, I had people coming up enquiring as to who I was.
Noooo, was the general reaction. I did not know old Tom had another daughter.
See , invisible.

This invisibilty was not such a bad thing really. I took advantage of it and did what I wanted to do.
No one noticed, they never do with a middle child.

I was very good at sport, I taught myself to do many things as no one else would teach me.
I was either to young or too old

One year at school sports, the high jumper from my grade took ill. I begged my Father to let me take her place.
Can you even jump he asked
Yes a little bit I replied.
That year I broke the age record for girls high jump.
To this day, 60 years later, that record has never been broken.
If Dad was impressed, he did not say so, but I knew in my heart I had done well.

It mattered not that no one noticed my talents, or even my lack of talents.
I knew myself that I could do anything I put my mind to .
Being as I was, I breezed through life. Many mistakes and bad judgements were made along the way but my tenacity always got me through.

Growing up as such was quite a journey, let me tell you.
I look back and reflect and think I could easily have crumbled, like many do, but no, I came through it ok.
Not completely unscathed, but ok.
I am happy with my life.
It has been a challenge, I have had a lot of ups and more downs, but I am still here, alive and
Well not kicking much nowadays due to a dicky hip joint.

All in all, I have achieved all and even more of what I wanted in life.

That is something to be happy about.