It happens in every family. The oldest is held to the strictest standards, the youngest is the baby who can do no wrong, and the middle child... is there too. Being stuck between two siblings can seem tediously ungratified. All of your teachers know you're older sibling so you have the chance to have a higher grade than they did. But you're younger sibling also has the chance of beating you. You have the pleasure of being the younger sibling and the responsibility of being the older. For those that look at the glass half empty, being the middle child means always being forgotten or never getting the attention. But for those that look at the glass half full, being the middle child means proving the half empty glass folks wrong.

When you're the middle child you don't have the pressure that the oldest siblings have. You can enjoy learning from their mistakes and telling the youngest siblings that you knew they were wrong all along. You have the power to set your own rules because no one's really watching you that much anyway. Not to say that middle children never get attention. We get our days in the spotlight, but on those days we have even more to prove. We have to show everyone that you don't have to be a beginning or an end to tell a story. It's not the destination, its the journey. We have the pressure of proving ourselves to push us into accomplishing more than we thought capable.

It's difficult not to be the first or the last. You have to make your mark on people with the time you have. Don't ever let the idea that you were preceded or could be succeeded by something greater stop you from going after your goals. Middle children are free spirited self-starters who know how to change the rules of the game. Don't ever underestimate the ability of a middle child to handle pressure. They could change the game.