One time, when I was younger, my sister and I got into fight about the volume of her television. When I asked her to turn it down, she turned it up. So, I turned my electronics up. Soon, the whole house was shaking with our sound war. Petty fights, nights where we stayed up “without” mom knowing, and silly competitions are just some of the memories evoked when the role ‘sister’ is mentioned. However, being the youngest sister is the specific role which I identify with the most.
The good. You learn from your sisters’ mistakes. The “guinea pigs,” as they are called, never get this chance; it is the chance that is peculiar to the younger sibling. Being able to be an amateur fortune teller before an action is even done is a gift. Younger siblings do not need to march into the same heartbreak their elder siblings endured. Younger siblings are known to be the most humorous of the siblings, which is true. Younger siblings need humor to get them through the childhood teasing and “sibling” rivalry. As the youngest, we learn to laugh at the world, with the world, and against the world. The youngest sibling gets to be different, gets to test the waters, and has the ability to move mountains.
The bad. The dreaded shadow of your elder siblings looming over your every choice and move. When I was younger, I sometimes would get the same teachers as my sisters. Sometimes I would be labelled as “different” than my sisters, which sounded more like an insult than a general statement. Being the youngest sibling means the shadow casts over most decisions, as your last name carries good and bad baggage. Sometimes, as the younger sister, you’re not taken seriously. “What do you want to be when you grow up?” turns into a cute question asked. So little is expected of the youngest sibling, and yet so much. You will forever be known as the "baby" of the family, even if you're 21 and moved out of the house. No matter what you do, you will not escape the dreaded kids' table. Embrace the kids' table; people are pretty cool over there.
In the end, the youngest sister can be molded into anything. When they’re young they might want to be a ninja and grow up to be an artist. Not only are younger siblings hilarious, but they usually create lasting relationships with family. Move a mountain, little ones, because in the family hierarchy, you have it pretty good.
