To be the middle child means to be stuck for life. You will always be stuck between the beloved first-born and the adorable baby, and nothing you can do will ever change that. You will always be compared to the "bookends". For the rest of your life, you'll be left to deal with either the bossy older sibling or the irking younger one. You're either constantly forgotten or the scapegoat of the family, and will hardly ever see your way pan out.

Your life is a constant circle of contradiction.

To be the middle child means you're usually the instigator. While this may be true because, as young children, it was fun to get a row out of the bookends, it may become your identity as a family member. Now, if you aren't the one that began the argument, sometimes you're forced to take sides, which is the worst. On the bright side, you also have the opportunity to be the peace-maker among your siblings and re-mend their bond.

To be the middle child means you have an older sibling who will have the higher ground. They're always having to watch you. The worst part about that is the fact that your main and first peer's eyes are on you just waiting for you to make a mistake. At times, they'll manipulate you to become their personal minion, and if their rules are not followed, then they find a sure-shot way to get you into trouble. It's never a win-win situation.

However, to your advantage, you have the ability to learn from the mistakes and triumphs of your older sibling. In doing this, you won't end up looking as ridiculous as they did. Usually, the older sibling sets the reputation for the others, but this allows you to not only prove them wrong, but actually set a known identity for yourself whether it's good or bad. Also, at times, you two can make a pretty good team and both of you can devise some sort of crazy plan. For example, you might decide it's a brilliant idea to run across the roof to each other's rooms rather than walking across the hallway. (Do not attempt!)

Then, someone eventually rats you out. Usually, that job is left to the angelic, blameless younger sibling.

To be the middle child means you'll always have someone following you around just begging to either play with you or help them with something. There will always be a smaller, younger pair of eyes watching your every move. As you battle through messy situations, they'll watch and either learn from your mistakes or copy your victories. This creates quite a bit of pressure on your part as a leader, but you'll know what advice you need to give them from your experiences.

You'll also have the responsibility of watching the younger sibling after the older one is gone. After they leave home, you even get to spend more time with your younger sibling. Believe it or not, once you leave for college or move away from home, you will always worry about the younger sibling who's left alone with your parents. As a middle child who recently graduated, I urge you to spend as much time as possible with them as you can. Time flies faster than you think.

To be the middle child means you're stuck in the middle of two crazy, loving siblings for the rest of your life that have to either watch out for or look up to you. There will always be dozens of great memories, secrets, and inside jokes between each of you. You'll always have someone to count on, and, as long as you're willing to be there, they can count on you, too. Obviously, there's a tragic down side to being the middle child, but a definite good side underneath it all.

Just remember: your siblings may drive you absolutely crazy at times--believe me, I know-- but they'll always be there in the long run. Hold on to them as long and as tight as you can, and never let go of them.

Lacey Franklin