National Siblings Day: To be an Only Child

April 10th is a national holiday I will never celebrate technically. National Siblings Day is a holiday that 77% of US families and children celebrate. Both my parents have siblings of their own. I have multiple cousins on both sides of the family. Most of my friends have siblings.

And yes the "only child syndrome" jokes do get old! (although I strongly attempt to never allow people to have the ability to guess I am an only child).

Throughout my life, I have gone through different stages of how I feel about this fact of being an only child. A few times during my early childhood (ages 3-5) I asked for siblings to no success. As I aged it fell out of priority for me it just didn't matter. I began to develop friendships that became my brothers. As I got to high school sometimes I felt I missed out on the relationship I could have had with a sibling.

Until I realized that I had become someone who cherished friendships and close friendships maybe a bit more than most. I firmly believe this is because of how I grew up. It is something that I am proud of. The ability for those brothers and sisters that I developed such close friendships with to rely on me like we were our own little family.

With all this being said as I enter the next stages of my life I will continue to think how my life could have been different if my family had one more member.

But instead of wishing for a difference I find the benefits behind it. For all of you reading this with siblings, the bond you have with those siblings can not be replicated. However I received one benefit none of you got. I chose my brothers and sisters I chose those that I wanted to have the relationships with, something that I don't think I appreciated until recently.

One thing I know I never appreciated was the relationship it created between me and my parents. There were, and in all honesty are times where it is a negative, but an equal if not more times where it is a positive. My parents and I are close, has it been an easy road no. Were the screaming matches in the kitchen worth it? I think so. Have my parents adjusted to immediately becoming empty nesters? If this weekend was any indication, my father's quote "we are just getting used to doing dinners without you" should let you all know how they stand (I have been gone 9 months).

The family a person grows up in creates the person they become. Only children are given all the attention of their parental unit, ALL OF IT! Only children also benefit from being the only child that has to be spent on. Only children may sometimes feel more pressure than other children with siblings to lighten the load. However only children if given the right environment and freedom can become extremely independent people.

As I continue to get older the fact of being an only child will continue to have an impact on me. As my parents age I will be the only one to look after them. I will also be the single beneficiary of their will, I hope. For much of my life I have ridden an emotional roller coaster as to what it means to be an only child and I will continue it.

There are always multiple ways to look at a situation. This one however is an ever changing look.