Fourteen. It's a good number. It's the name of the year. 2014. And though it is a few months old, I haven't completely abandoned all of my New Year's resolutions, because I know that some would actually be beneficial. Here are a few that I have tried to keep:
- Defend my beliefs better.
- Adopt a healthier lifestyle (this one is recycled from last year…and the year before…).
- Be kinder to people around me.
Number three is going to be key, because I have a lot of people around me. And not just at school, either. It's pretty busy at home, too.
Another reason fourteen is a good number? It's the number of children in my family.
I'm smiling just thinking of the reactions I always get to that sentence. There are a lot of dropped jaws, wide eyes, and immediate questions. “Wait, seriously?!” “How many girls and boys?” “Are there any step or foster children?” And the most common, “How do your parents do it?”
The answers are simple, really. Yes, I'm serious. There are 7 boys and 7 girls. No, there aren't any step or foster children. And they do it with help. Babysitters, yes, but also from the older children, like me. (Yes, I am the oldest.) That's why I have to try to be kinder to my siblings this year. More responsibility is slowly being placed on me as I grow older. That's what I envision this little column being about: what it's like to grow up in a giant family, one I think is doing pretty well, when society does not see that as the norm.
So who knows? Maybe I'll keep my resolutions going; maybe I won't. But fourteen is a good number. I've got a feeling it'll be a good year, too.