I will be the first person to admit that being the youngest child in a large family

has advantages; however, the challenges were always forefront in my early life as the
youngest child in my own family. I always hoped there was more to the countless nights
of fighting and arguing, which often resulted in my dimwitted five-year-old self not being
able to counter the structured knowledge of my seemingly adult sisters. No matter the
situation, they were always one step ahead. Even as I began to start my own journey
towards independence in later years, I found myself still feeling like the lost, small-
minded five-year-old that bantered with my siblings on a day-to-day basis. Regardless
of how hard I pushed or strategized, I always ended up being cast behind the shadow of
their success. I desperately hoped to illuminate my own path one day. As I grew older
and finally began to cast my own shadow, I found myself being competitive wherever
there was an opportunity to outshine my siblings. In the end, it seemed I always
finished exactly where I started: yearning to earn what they had.
When I was younger, no one explained the perspective of the youngest child, or
what it is like witnessing your siblings evolve towards adulthood and achieve their life
goals. The angst of watching them graduate college, buy homes, and get married; all
while you're still living the same high school life that you watched them experience
years ago. Even when considering the struggles of life growing up, there were
somehow many positives. The strange feeling of watching my siblings grow and change
brought me a sense of pride, similar to the idea that I contributed to their growth as
people. Those memories of being taunted relentlessly, seemed to be worth it as if I was
closer to being viewed as a friend rather than a sibling. Oftentimes in my life my sisters
were my idols, I did everything they did, attempting to replicate a way to navigate every
aspect of my life.
As I grew older and became more driven, I developed some of the most valuable
friendships of my life. Though unbelievable to me at an earlier age, these prized
friendships are actually with my siblings. This feeling of friendship was foreign to my
earlier thinking, but I was finally able to fulfill the commitment of friendship with my
siblings. All the taunting, teasing, and fighting that comes with being the youngest child
truly allowed me to become the stronger, fiercer, smarter person that I am today. Even
with this knowledge in mind, being the youngest certainly was not an easy task. I didn't
realize until it was gone just how valuable those memories were, and how fortunate I
was to absorb everything they taught me. The empty feeling you have once your
siblings head off to college, missing the moments of joking and laughing all as one
single family. Everyday that I spent alone just reminded me of how fortunate I was to
grow up with older siblings. Whether it was acknowledging the need to share or
sacrifice, being the youngest has ultimately provided me many valuable lessons.
Being the youngest child shaped me into the person I am today. I was taught the
lessons of accepting challenges, as well as how to be a stronger human being in order
to change the world around me for the better. Growing up the youngest child taught me
what it's like to persevere and strive for my goals. Observing the success of my sisters
revealed how I too can learn and grow from life’s challenges, if I will only dedicate
myself to the task at hand. I will always cherish the bond that I have with my siblings
and family and I will always carry forward the values they instilled in me.