Chapter : The Eldest

Being the eldest is hard. Well, I’m not speaking from experience, I’m speaking from observation. You see, being the eldest in the family requires a lot of responsibility. Not only that, if you are the first son of the family, you too bear a lot of weight on your shoulders cause you’re carrying the family’s name and stuffs like that, you know?

I have an older sister. Even though she and I are always not on good terms but nevertheless I still respect her. Lately she has been through a lot of pressure from work and other personal stuffs. She has to plan her wedding, pay bills (mortgages) and all the other things. Well, being the second eldest in the family, I don’t really get all the responsibilities but I still do have my share and stuffs. At times, I wished I could play a bigger role…

I’m used to be on my own when I’m at home, content with my laptop and shows that I have stored. Being branded “anti-social” by my family because I don’t talk much with them (it’s better now, I talk to them from time to time, mostly my mom) but it actually gives me a chance to observe my family. 

This is how I noticed that my sister is being through a lot lately. She may not tell it to me or my brother…but I know that she’s has a lot of weight on her shoulders. My mom said that she is adjusting to the life having to think about paying mortgages, and if she wants to start a family she too has to think about savings and stuffs. The only people she could tell her problems is her fiancé and best friends.

So, that’s why I try to help her out from time to time. The only thing that I could do is helping her out when she is preparing dinner and washing the dishes. Simple stuffs like that and also, try to not get in her way. But seeing her juggling her work life and her responsibilities makes me respect her a lot more. I remember the last time when I was way younger, I’m always quarrelling with her because she would always throw her temper at me when she’s in a foul mood and I would fight back. But now, I learned to be more tolerant and would just accept it. 

This is what I observed about being the eldest in the family…it may not be accurate.

1. Taking care all the younger siblings
2. Show good example to the younger siblings
3. Handle all the “affairs”
4. If the younger siblings are under your care, you bear full responsibility as the guardian
5. All family affairs will be discussed with YOU first then only to the younger siblings

Well…there are more but currently these were the few things on top of my head. So my sister has been bearing all these responsibilities and also with her long strenuous working hours as a pharmacist, she is still able fulfill her role as an older sister and daughter.

I hope that when I encounter these responsibilities in the future, I too will be able to handle it just like her.