Last in Line

I didn't know how much Hailey was missing Austen until she had to say goodbye again after the Xmas break. He was home for almost six weeks so we really got to see him a lot and spend a good portion of time with him but still that wasn't enough for Hailey. 

Our Last in Line

The day he left was a crazy day. Peyton had a cheer competition and Hailey was at her friend's house and we weren't sure exactly what time he was leaving. Peyton had said goodbye to him the night before but the rest of us wanted to say goodbye too. During the cheer competition, he texted us that he needed a ride to his roommate's house to go back to school so Tom went and grabbed him at home while I got Hailey from her friend's house and raced to say a quick goodbye. Goodbyes are never that easy but he was ready to go back and we were going to see him again within the next month to six weeks or so. Eight weeks at the most. On the way back home, I happened to look in my rearview mirror and noticed Hailey crying. "Oh my gosh, what's wrong?" I said, completely unaware that this goodbye had affected her so much. "I hate him leaving," she said. She proceeded to tell me all the reasons why being the youngest child is hard. It's like being left behind. 

I should have known that this was coming. There were signs. A few weeks before she had penned an essay for a writing workshop at school titled, "Last in Line" and it was all about her brother and sister leaving for college and how she would be the only one left - the one left behind. She even read her intro and concluding paragraphs at the dinner table one evening for us all to hear. 

Now we did try to tell her all the benefits of being the youngest child. All your parents' attention (of course only the good). There will never have to be a divide and conquer (especially for college visits as Peyton kindly let us know this weekend that not "all of us" will be attending her college visits). Plus, you learn from your siblings' mistakes. But she wasn't moved by any of our arguments that being the last sibling is probably the best position. For the record, Austen wishes he was the last child and so does Peyton. 

She is in a unique position especially amongst her friends. While many of her friends are third born children in families of three or four (with a few first borns thrown in there), none of the older siblings have left for college yet so she's the first one experiencing this shift in her family. And, she's feeling all the emotions of that shifting dynamic. 

Don't worry, Hailey, Austen will be home soon to see you. But in the interim, I'm sure Peyton will terrorize you enough so you feel differently about her leaving for college (although it was nice of you to include her in your essay). 

Happier times with Peyton

The three