Sharing violation

The biggest and most important lesson of childhood (after potty training and "please" and "thank you") is how to share. You learn to share toys, snacks, clothes, shoes, Barbies (distinguished from actual toys because they're, well, Barbies), and ... parents.

As the oldest of four, I had to learn to share mommy and daddy early - before I was a year old - because my sister was born 13 months and 1 day after I was. Supposedly, I had that whole first year to myself, but the reality was, I had about 4-6 months before my mom started getting morning sickness and hormone fluctuations that accompanied her pregnancies.

By the time my oldest brother was born, I was 7 (and a half!), so I knew the drill pretty well; my sister was not so astute. Her nose got out of joint at no longer being the baby, and it's still a bit out of joint to this very day. My youngest brother's birth when I was almost 10 completed the tribe. While my sister felt some solidarity with him (he was the baby boy, but she was still the baby girl), she and my oldest brother are still somewhat competitive.

Flash-forward 42 years, and we have learned a little better to share. Not much better but a little better. :) Thus, I can say with complete honesty that I am totally digging the fact that I am getting SO much more parent time this year than my siblings!! Granted, my brother lives the closest and as a result, his kids get to spend time with their Nana whenever possible, but that's only because of proximity.

My folks are coming for a visit next weekend, my dad and I are going to a Tigers game (go Tigers!!), and my mom and I are already planning how we're going to handle the Sunday portion of the weekend (there is a 20th anniversary of a church my dad pastored for about 10 years, and she doesn't want to go.... We're working on that...) There may be a little hooky involved. We won't go into details.