week two :)

I loved the discussion we had in class this week about how families are structured in a way that everyone has a role (or more) to fill. It was interesting to hear about others' experiences with their personal roles in their families, and I would love to hear y'all's experiences as well if you're open to sharing! I was able to reflect and ponder on how family roles have influenced my own life for better or worse. I also paid more attention to the roles that those around me play in their family and how that continues to affect them even though most don’t live with their families anymore. 

I am the second of four children, and I am the oldest girl. I have an older brother, a younger brother, and a younger sister. I have always been like a second mom to my younger two siblings and honestly played the role of the oldest child in multiple ways. My mom relied on me a lot to help with my siblings and around the house. I was generally the peacemaker in my family, so I was in charge of damage control more often than not. I also have always had very nurturing instincts and have wanted to be a mom for as long as I can remember, so I was able to feel confident and comfortable in my role as the oldest daughter and all the responsibilities that came with that. However, I do tend to be fairly hard on myself, and I think having so much responsibility early on in my childhood might have played a small part in that. I am a very extroverted, bubbly person which helped me develop relationships with my siblings in a way that established trust. They, especially the younger two, would come to me with questions or to ask for help if mom was not available (sometimes even if she was). I helped out with homework. I would wake them up in the morning and help them get out the door. I would give rides to wherever they needed to be. I am always there for them when they need someone to talk to. I love the role I play in my family, and I’m so grateful to my family members for trusting me enough to allow me to fulfill this role.

I also put a lot of thought into the roles my siblings play in our family. My older brother is extremely smart, so he is the go-to tutor for just about any subject. He is not the most outgoing guy, but he is excellent in one on one conversations and will talk about anything and everything. He does not play the role of a protective older brother, even though I  definitely wished he did as I was growing up. My younger brother is the family comedian. He is constantly making all of us laugh and can effortlessly lighten any mood. He is also the troublemaker of the family, so we have all learned the limits of our parents because of him. He is the stereotypical middle boy, and he eats it all up. My youngest sister fills the role of the ‘baby’ of the family flawlessly. She knows just how to get what she wants, but she is also a sweetheart. She is a little miss independent and wants to do everything by herself, but she is also the one who is more than willing to go and/or do anything with any of us. It is super cool to me how well we not only get along but complement each other in our skills and abilities. 

I loved this opportunity I had to dive deep into my family and the roles that we play. I think it is intriguing that the roles we have fit with our individual personalities almost perfectly. I wonder if our personalities have developed the way they have because of the roles we were given or if we were given our roles because of our personality traits. I guess it could be a combination of both, but I’m not entirely sure if there is any way to figure that out.

What role do you play in your family? How does it impact your family’s structure and the roles others play? What influence has that role had on your life and who you are as a person?

I hope those questions get you thinking, and if you are comfortable sharing, let me know in the comments what comes to mind!