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As a youngest of four, I resent the common implication that youngest children have it easy. We have a lot of things harder too, you know, like math and jobs and... responsibility and, especially, older siblings constantly complaining about how we get away with everything.
Do youngest children really get away with everything?
Of course we do.
I won't go into why (Surely one look and you'll have your answer), but I must admit even I am weirded out sometimes by this seemingly cosmic ability youngest children have to turn any situation to their favor-- without even trying.
This phenomenon even extends into adulthood. It's not unusual for me to lose my keys and then find them in my jeans pocket with 20 bucks. I'll take a wrong turn and end up at a killer garage sale or I'll forget a dentist appointment and then not have to spend my day at the dentist. It's bizarre. It sometimes feels like the youngest aren't just their parents' favorites, but life's favorites too.
For instance, my dad and I (both youngest children) once stalled out in a Target parking lot, annoyingly blocking in someone's car. The owner of the car turned out to be Carmelo Freaking Anthony. It was awesome! Not that awesome for Carmelo (must not be a youngest child), but he sure was nice about it.
I'm not the only youngest child to experience these strange "heaven smiling down on me" events:
In high school, my youngest brother-in-law retrieved his coat from the lost and found only to later realize the broken zipper was no longer broken. In fact, it wasn't his coat at all, but an entirely brand new version of the coat he'd lost.
My youngest child best friend up and quit her job to travel the world. After her magical travels, she came home and got a job with Ben and Jerry's. One of her job tasks was to film herself skydiving. She later went on to work for Facebook and Instagram, the adult equivalent of working at Disneyland.
It doesn't stop there. It's a phenomenon so old it's biblical. Just look at Donny Osmond, I mean, Joseph, the classic adored youngest child (11th of 12 counts) who was constantly unfairly treated by his jealous older siblings (if you've got it, Joseph, flaunt it!). His brothers sold him into slavery as sweet revenge. The next time they met him he was a downtrodden old beggar, right? Nope. Pharaoh's wingman.
Being the youngest isn't all chuckles, though. My family continually and openly expects the very least from me. They once applauded me for successfully meeting them in D.C. via an airplane AND a hotel shuttle ALL BY MYSELF. I was a mother of two at the time.
But it was hard, so I took a well-deserved bow.
Anyways, back to my original point, why do youngest children live such seemingly charmed lives? Does life just take care of us like our older siblings (not Joseph's) did? Is it luck? A positive attitude? Could it be such grace and wit that the very heavens open before us? Whatever it is, it seems to be the norm for the youngest children I know.
Have you seen it too? Comment below.
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