There have been many factors that played into how I would explain my identity. One of the main structural factors that I believe had a major impact on who I am today is the place I hold in my family. I am the youngest of three children. I have two older brothers, one that is ten years older than me, and the other being eight years older than me. My parents say that I was the
surprise blessing while my brothers tell me I was an accident. Although I grew up being picked on, pushed, tackled, and made fun of constantly by my big brothers, I was and always will be their baby sister who they would do anything for. My parents and my brothers taught me how to be strong, to persevere, and that I need to work hard for everything I want. From my dad and
brothers teaching me how to play sports and beating me every time to making me fight for the last piece of bacon at breakfast, I was raised to compete. My family rooted in me a competitive, hard-working spirit that is very much still inside of me. Being the youngest to two brothers who were a lot older than myself, I got used to pushing myself to be the best I could be, because they
refused to ever let me win. I used to get extremely annoyed and frustrated but I am now thankful that they never went easy on me because I do not think I would have been able to accomplish everything that I have so far without the mentality they instilled in me.
Even though about half of my childhood I was the little sister being beaten up by her brothers, it was not long until they both were out of the house and in college. I was the only kid at home by the time I was in about sixth grade. Some people would assume that me having more of an “only child” role at home would make me more spoiled or make me lose some of my traits
that my brothers influenced me to have, but that was not the case. When I became the only kid in the house I began taking up traits that each one of us kids had. I became more of a leader like the oldest, more independent like the middle, and a little more fun-loving and adventurous like the youngest child tends to be. Right after my brothers left I felt that my parents and mostly just had each other and I wanted to do everything I could for them. I wanted to live up to the happiness that my brothers made them feel and give them even more, making them proud just like my brother had done. I know that my whole family was proud of me, and would have been proud of me no matter what I would have done with my life. Still, I felt an obligation to myself to go
above and beyond. I think that determination came from the very beginning of my childhood playing all kinds of games with my big brothers. My family has shaped me into the person I am today whether they realize it or not, and I do not think I could ever thank them enough for everything they have taught me.
