Paper 1: 3 Levels of Being a Big Brother

History:

It was the evening of October 23, 2003. The Skinner family had gathered at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Denver, CO to welcome its newest family member, Julie Ann Skinner. Julie, that day, became the third child to Jay, my mom, and Jim, my dad. Nicole, my older sister, who was 19 at the time, was there for Julie’s Birth. Later Nicole brought me, who was 14 and a freshman in high school at the time, and my niece, Annabella, who was born 7 months prior, to hospital to greet our newest family member. 

Memory:

I remember holding my little sister in my arms and looking into a mirror that was in the hospital room where my mom had been moved to for overnight stay. Seeing myself hold my little sister scared me because she was so much smaller than I was and I was afraid I might drop, or break her. I felt so much love for her already that I was afraid for her health as well. I had been a very ill child and in that moment I was hoping that this little girl in my arms wouldn’t have to suffer the way that I had for 14 years. I told that little girl in my arms, “don’t be sick little one, please don’t be sick like me.”

Significance:

Julie’s birth was a significant turning point for me. At the time of her birth I was a freshman in high school and was seeking more independence from my parents. Julie took a lot of the unwanted parental attention from me because my parents had to attend to her, and often would let me do more. Julie wasn’t just a catalyst to parental freedom; having a new little sister also meant more responsibility for me. My parents relied on me to take more responsibility for my actions and more responsibility around the house. I had many opportunities to take care of my little sister and what she taught me in those times is unparalleled to anything I could have ever learned in school. Taking care of her showed me glimpses of parental responsibilities, giving me a greater appreciation for everything my parents had done for me. This understanding later pushed me to mend the relationships with my parents that had soured prior to Julie’s birth.

My little sister did end up being a sick child. Julie, like me, was diagnosed with severe asthma and sinus problems, as well as four major food allergies; wheat, soy, milk, and peanuts. Despite my wishes that my little sister would not be a sick child like me, she was. However, there was something different about my parents this time. They knew what they were doing, and knew how to take care of a sick child after raising me. My mom and dad still claim I was the worst child to raise because I was so sick, but claim that without their experiences raising me that they wouldn’t know how to deal with all of Julie’s illnesses. I still fear for her and how she will grow up sick but I know my parents won’t hold her back the way they held me back from activities when I was growing up, and at least I can be happy that I prepared my parents for Julie.

I love my little sister. She has brought so much joy to me over the years that when I went to see my family over winter break, I just wanted to see my little “Juju Bean.” I’m not the only one, though; her existence in this world has given my whole family a new life. My Dad in his 50s has a 7 year old that has brought him immense joy in his unemployment, and has given him a reason to keep fighting for the family, to provide for her. Julie is and always will be the baby of the family, and my dad, my mom, my older sister and I have been able to agree that without Julie, our family wouldn’t be together. As I have become more of a stable voice, keeping my family together, I still have to thank God for the little girl that I held in my arms 7 years ago, because she became the heart and soul of my family.