Over the weekend, my husband alerted me to the fact that soon middle children may become extinct. Apparently, in the spirit of National Middle Child Day, which is Aug 12, USA Today felt it important to note that with the decrease in the number of babies being born in the last few years, as well as families reducing the number of children they have closer to two, the middle child may potentially become a thing of the past.

My reactions to this were:
1. How have I not been celebrating National Middle Child Day all these years?!
2. I am a unicorn (rare, magical and nearly extinct)

Let’s not get mired down in whether or not unicorns exist because just like the Chupacabra, Loch Ness and Sasquatch, is it that they don’t exist or there are just so few of them that even fewer people actually make contact?

I like the idea of being a unicorn. I promptly texted the dearest middle child I know: my niece, Sydney. We unicorns have to stick together with our special diets to keep the magic dust flowing and our horns sharp and on point.

In fact, I heard a fellow Middle Child yesterday say it’s tough to get a win when you are in the middle. It’s tough to find triumph. One of your siblings has already done it or will be following along in your footsteps in record time. I never thought about it quite like that but an interesting perspective all the same.

I mean, what a shame that we delightful creatures may soon stop gracing the Earth. We are the peacemakers, the compromisers, the sharers because it’s all we’ve ever known. We grew up sharing rooms, parents, clothes, attention. We have rarely ever been the first to do anything and we certainly won’t be the last. But what we lack in firsts, we make up for in personality, my friends.

That is not to say that our first-born and babies somehow have it easier. They have their own challenges in the birth order that help mold and shape them into who they are but it would be a real travesty if an oldest and a youngest never had the privilege of living with a real-life unicorn. Don’t you think?

So hey, Millennials, maybe you can step up to the plate and save the planet and the middles while still texting at the same time.

Sunshine & Sarcasm,
Lowi & G