It’s the month of my birthday, but I’m going to spend it talking about my sisters because, why not?

I have an older sister and a younger sister, so I’m the middle child. Yeah, yeah, I’ve heard every single “poor middle child” joke and seen all the other jokes on the internet. We’re always the forgotten one, the one who gets all the hand-me-downs, or the one who causes the most trouble. However, I’ve found most of the middle child stereotypes aren’t true … most of the time. Don’t look too much into that one, Mom and Dad.

My older sister and my younger sister have always made a point to make sure that the middle child stereotype didn’t fit me, and so have my parents. They never treated me differently or like I’m some sort of burden and I loved pretty much every moment of my childhood. Of course, there was the odd moment of tension, but what family doesn’t have tension at some point?

I think one of the only things I would relate to in the dictionary of middle child stereotypes is that I was indeed a mischievous kid and kind of a daredevil or at least I would like to think so. My mom and dad could deny this at any time when they read it.

Where do we even start with how awesome my sisters are?

Let’s start with the older one. I’m not going to put their names here because I’m pretty sure they’d kill me.

For as long as I can remember, my older sister has been resilient and always beat out her own path in life. She definitely went against the grain and she was (is) fiercely protective of the people she loves including friends, family, and spouses. I should know. There have been many times in which someone was making fun of me or I was making fun of someone else and she quickly shut that down.

She truly carved out the path both my younger sister and I would eventually one day follow whether it be joining the marching band or being head over heels in love with animals.

Like I’ve said in previous columns, she truly got me into many things I still enjoy today. Musicals. Anime. Sports. Comics. Reading. Trouble. You name it. Though that last one is considerably less fun and we’ve all done our fair share of getting each other in trouble. What can I say? Siblings can simultaneously be the people you would protect til the ends of the earth and be the biggest thorn in your side.

Along with all of this, she pushed me to think outside the box and look at things from a different perspective. There were many instances where I was incredibly angry or sad and she told me a method of dealing with said things in my life or a way of thinking I’ve never thought of before.

I feel like she always had to prove she had it all together, being the oldest and all, but in recent years, with the amazing spouse she has, she’s been able to let go a little more and be herself. She’s grown a lot in the last few years and she knows now it’s okay to be herself because of the people she’s met and the love she’s gotten.

She always made it a point to include us in things such as watching her prom pictures being taken or birthdays. I have to give kudos to both her and her friends because they both made me feel like family when I was alone with them. I still talk to some of them today because of her. She truly is a magnificent human being and I hope she knows that I look up to her.

Now for my younger sister. She too is incredibly resilient and never takes no for an answer when she knows she is incredibly capable of doing something or performing a task. I’ve seen a lot of people underestimate her abilities and I’d have to give those people a resounding … bless you.

Cheers to you if you know which movie I’m referencing with that last line.

She’s suffered many hardships and, without fail, she’s come out stronger every single time. This girl didn’t make the Dean’s List at university by sitting around, she fought for every grade, every position, and every single dime she was given. Heck, I’d say her name deserves to be at the top of the list for how hard she’s fought to get to where she is. I am extremely proud of her for never stopping, even when it feels like life is pulling the rug out from under her.

She’s also challenged me to think outside my comfort zone and look at things in a different way. There are some things we disagree with, who doesn’t, but some of those things I’ve seen in a better light because of her.

She is truly a social butterfly and anyone is lucky to be her friend or be in her presence. Her laugh lights up a room and like the other two of us, she has a goofy personality. I’d like to attribute our goofy personalities to our father who is incredibly goofy and made sure we had fun wherever we went. Well, most places. Some things just aren’t fun. Like the dentist’s office.

I’d say my youngest sister felt like she needed to prove herself more than my older sister and I because she was constantly being compared to both of us. When three sisters all go through the same school system, it’s easy for teachers to compare siblings and be like “oh, you’re so and so’s sister,” and that comparison is already in their head. Not to mention with all the other people our teachers knew in our family, high school wasn’t exactly a place we could goof around too much. If one of us got in trouble, I felt like it wouldn’t be long before my whole family knew and we’d be in even bigger trouble.

Both of them have always pushed me further than I’d ever thought I could go. With them by my side I’m sure I’ll go even further.

Also, both of you, yes, I am still expecting my Miss Congeniality meme on my birthday. I will accept it in gif form or picture. You can even mail it to me and I’d be happy as a clam.

I hope this column quells any fears you’ve had about what you mean to me or to the rest of the family and I hope you have a fantastic day and April.

Alyssa Ochss is the page designer at The Alpena News. She graduated from Oakland University and loves pop culture and all things nerd. You can reach her at aochss@thealpenanews.com.