Growing Up Research Paper

I was born into an already developed family. My mother had me when she was pushing the age of 43, and my dad was 40. They had been married for over 20 years, and they had spent the last seven with their first born, my brother, Lucas. So there I was thrown into a family who had already bonded, already made those “first time” connections, and they had expected to stay the parents of one child until—surprise! A little girl was born, and their three man wolf pack became four. I always felt like as if there were something separating my family and myself. They loved me, make no mistake about that, but I just felt as though those seven years they spent as a small family connected them in a way I will never understand, and those crucial years made …show more content…
Once I was out of middle school and the medical bills started coming less and less, the comments became more and more evident. My freshmen year I heard comments like “Luke did so well in school” or, “Luke had so many opportunities all through high school he was just so talented” and my favorite one, “Luke managed to get a 4.0 GPA all through High school, but don’t let that intimidate you, you’ll be fine.” Intimidate me? Really? I was under so much stress that by the time school started I was lost. Trying to live up to my parents conspicuous expectations, and trying to not live in the shadows of my older brother made me feel as if no one ever saw me as Gracie because I was too busy being, “Lucas Carr’s younger …show more content…
So I came to the conclusion that as long as I lived where I do, the individuality that I craved will not be present with some people. I accepted that, and I grew accustomed to the comments of, “your brother is so successful” and, “Wow. Big shoes to fill” I would just smile nod my head and continue living a life as a younger sibling. I remember my sophomore year of high school my parents really wanted me to play golf, and for the same reasons they want me to do everything because Luke does it, so I did, and it turns out I was pretty good at it. My brother was supportive he taught me the basics of the game, and let me figure out the rest on my own because he believes that coddling someone will not lead them to success, so I worked for hours every day chipping balls into a bucket, driving at the driving range, and putting into a cup. After a long season I received my first varsity letter, the excitement overwhelmed me because no one else could take credit for this accomplishment because it was mine. But somehow my parents still managed to make the situation about their beloved Luke. I showed them my letter and they said “Congratulations! We’re so proud of you! Told you, you should have played last year then you could have lettered all four years like Luke! You have to start swinging a club everyday just like Luke if you want to be good.” Okay thanks for that, I’m really excited and you