The "Celebrating Our Middle Child" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Just opened my latest edition of "Reader's Digest."  Arrived Tuesday, August 13th and as I leafed quickly through it I realized I missed "Middle Child Day."  

August 13 - Middle Child Day!

Ever hear of celebrating a day for the middle child in the family?  Are you the middle child in your family or do you have a family with a middle child in it?  As I read the lead paragraph in the "Reader's Digest" story, I was greeted with: I don't need to ask you what you did on August 12.  You no doubt attended your local Middle Child Day parade or took in a lecture of Famous Middle Children Throughout History, then came home and cracked open a bottle of Middle Sister wine to celebrate.  Jeez, I didn't know there was a wine called Middle Sister.  

Brynn turned 4 on the 4th of
July and got her photo in the paper.

My family consists of myself, wife Carol, our oldest son Derek, our middle child and daughter Brynn and our youngest son Paul Thadeus whom we call Tad.  As I read the story I learned that the middle child, the most populous birth-order demographic throughout most of history, will soon be the tiniest.  Also read in an online story that today's families begin later in life and seem to be limited to just one or two children, thus making the middle child an endangered species.  As I read on I found that the middle child means being defined by what you are not.  You're shaped primarily  by what you missed out on and what you don't possess.  Studies also say that "Middies" receive less financial and emotional support from their parents and have fewer intimate relationships with their mothers and fathers compared with other siblings, but do seem to have more friends to compensate for that fact.  

Youngest Tad, middle Brynn and oldest Derek.

After reading that I knew this story wasn't written about my family.  Our daughter just doesn't fit the mold of the traditional middle child.  She was good at just about everything she did throughout her schooling to shining on the athletic field.  She had an unlimited supply of friends and was the editor of her high school yearbook.  

A later shot of my three children.

And, she very seldom ended up with the poison poo when we vacationed along the Chesapeake Bay when our children were young.  (Poison poo was the big handful of river mud that was passed around when the kids were playing in the water). And, as far as receiving financial support, my wife and I managed to pay for all three of our children's education after graduating from high school.  And, being a middle child, helped Brynn develop skills like diplomacy, resilience and independence.  It is also said that being middleborn makes you feel left out and resentful as you don't receive the same privileges as the oldest or the pampering of the youngest.  Now, I know you would have to ask our daughter about that, but I believe she would say none of that was true in our household.  

A more recent birthday with daughter Camille and mom Carol.

Brynn excelled in just about everything she did from being a great student throughout her life to being an all-star performer on the field hockey and softball fields.  And, today she can do plumbing, electrical work, dry-walling, painting and just about anything else related to home maintenance.  I guess the fact that I taught high school wood, metal and graphic arts helped since she grew up knowing how to do most everything needed mechanically.  So, I think it's pretty neat that there is a special holiday for the middle child, especially since they may be extinct some time in the near future.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.