Daddy's Little Girl
By Sarah, age 18, Pennsylvania
Sweet Designs Featured Writer
When I was younger I was the normal "daddy's little girl". When my sister was 9 and I was 6, we used to climb the trees in our backyard. My sister would always encourage me to climb higher and higher, but then I would come to the realization of how high I really was by looking down. Terrified of heights, I would start to scream and cry, never letting my sister get me down. On numerous occasions I would wait in the tree for hours for my father to get home. He was the only one I trusted to get me out of that tree safe and sound. Since then, on numerous occasions, I've always found myself safe and sound in the trusted arms of my father.
Unfortunately, things took a turn for the worse when I reached middle school. We switched schools and I had a hard time fitting in. My sister seemed to adapt well, but I was at that awkward middle school age when you don't know that lime green and neon orange really doesn't go all that well together. In high school I started failing math, and when my parents found out they started yelling. They compared me to my sister, who is pretty much a genius, and in turn I became resentful of her. As soon as I came home from school with a progress report or report card telling them that my far less than perfect grade in math wasn't getting any better, I would have to sit through hours of, "Why aren't you like Bev? She's smart. She knows how to do math! Why can't you do stuff like her? Why are you stupid? Why don't you get this?" I was devastated. I was daddy's little girl! When did my sister become the favorite?
After that, it started getting worse. It wasn't just about math anymore. It was about sports, and then driving, and then working, and now it's gone as far as religion. Nothing I have done has ever been as good as my sister. I eventually gave up trying to be like my sister, but that didn't come till after many slits in my wrist and tears wasted on my parents.
My parents still do not accept me for the way I am. We argue all the time, and I'm never home anymore, and when I am home, I get in trouble for spending too much time in my room. I've given up hope of ever getting along with them, and I plan to stop communication when I move out. This is unfortunate because I find myself clinging to my boyfriend for the emotional support I need to counteract the years of hurt my parents have established in my life.
I'm sorry if anyone else is having these problems and I wish you luck in dealing with it. I've had the support of a good friend which I have now lost due to her parents being the same way and forbidding us to hang out. Support is important in these times, and if you don't have it I must say you will have a very rough time making it through. It is an unfortunate event when one sibling is compared to another, and it may cause years of turmoil. I encourage you to be strong and talk to your parents about it. Personally I never had the courage.
