By Bushra Khatri
Growing up seemed difficult
Infuriating, insulting and instant
My problems were the worst to deal with
And I thought my siblings had it easy
Unfairness plagued my thoughts, emotions and existence
And I thought of myself as the victim and the abused
The sufferer and the martyr
The selfless and the best
This was my view
Sheltered from the towering shadows of my siblings
The view of the world from the center where I stood alone
Barricading myself with defenses against the enemy I had imagined for myself
Always refusing the friendly knocks of my kin
Then one day maturity came knocking
With a white flag
Bringing an unwelcomed surprise
It gave me a glimpse of the world beyond the center
Beyond the windows of my barricade
Creating new tunnels and holes
For me to crawl and jump through
Escaping the fortress created by myself
And unmasking my shelter for what it truly was
It is then that the reality of my siblings unfogged
And I found myself among the fortunate
Coming to terms with the reality
That the struggles of the eldest
Pass down as privilege for the youngest
And admited to myself, "Growing up was not that difficult