as the youngest of 3 daughters
it took me a while to realize
that i was often being used
as the canary in the coal mine
sent in first to check
if the mud was sticky
if the place was scary
if it was wet
if there were spiders or alligators
if the others could squeeze in somewhere
if we were going to get in trouble
for whatever crazy scheme we thought up that day
i was curious and relished the adventure
excited to try things first
only to realize time and again
that it generally
had not
been a good idea in the first place.
whoever thinks they can fool me 267 times or so
has got another thing coming….
—
“a younger sister is someone to use as a guinea pig in trying sledges and experimental go-carts. someone to send on messages to mum. but someone who needs you – who comes to you with bumped heads, grazed knees, tales of persecution. someone who trusts you to defend her. someone who thinks you know the answers to almost everything.
~ pam brown
—
image credit: lets feast.feast-ed.org