Reality of Birth Order

Early in the Surprise Party planning efforts, it was decided that I would be the point-of-contact for all RSVP's.

In the interest of full disclosure, I decided that I would be the point-of-contact. Since I designed the invitation, there wasn't much to discuss!

I talked to my sisters off and on as RSVP's trickled in, giving them updates on who had called. At some point, after sharing a particularly neat conversation I'd had with an old friend, my youngest sister complained:

It's not fair! Why do you get to have all of the fun

just because you're the oldest and most responsible?

Then once again on Saturday, as we were packing the carnival glass I'd inherited and stored at my parents' as we were moving here and there, my youngest sister once again wailed:

It's not fair! No one's given me anything neat from

the family to use.

Ah, the plight of the youngest child.

I would just like to point out, that having fun experiences and getting neat things is the oldest child's earthly reward for enduring heavy discipline, strictly enforced nap time, curfews, retaking standardized tests to get better scores, hearing "that's not good enough" and "look it up" on a weekly basis and, in general, overly parented.

You, my sweet youngest sister, already had fun experiences and received neat things thanks to my long-suffering and sacrifices.

So there.