Embracing My Path: Lessons from Being the 'Extra' Child
The Blessing in Being Unplanned; Being born as the second child, I just happened to my parents.I wasn’t in their plan—not when I arrived, at least.But they loved me wholeheartedly, even if they saw everything about me as “extra.” And that’s how I became the “extra” in my family. As a child, I didn’t always see it this way. There were moments when I felt neglected, moments when I misinterpreted their ease with me as a lack of love. My sibling would tease me endlessly, saying I was a child they picked up off the streets out of sheer kindness. And my parents? They played along, laughing at what they called a “universal joke.” But the kid in me didn’t find it funny. I created countless arguments and imaginary narratives, questioning why I was treated differently. A Blessing in Disguise It took years to see the truth. The diffe...