What's your role in your family?

I’d like to think my role in my family is of the nice, older kid who inspires others to be their best selves. Or maybe I’m the only sane person. I kid, of course. My role in my family, I suppose, depends on who I’m with at the moment.

My cousins on my mom’s side are all younger than me. The oldest one after me is 4 years younger. With them, I feel two ways. Either I’m the cool older brother, or I’m the too-cool older brother. These two are indeed different if you were wondering. The cool older brother is kind, helpful, plays with his siblings, and is all-around amazing. All of his siblings want to be involved with him and he lets them join in.

Then there’s the too-cool older brother. This guy is basically your typical teenager. He wants no business with these little kids and has more important things to do on his phone, like scroll through TikTok. The siblings still want to be involved with him, but they’ve learned that this will never happen, so they don’t even try to approach him. As for me, I think I fit most of the time into the “cool older brother” mold, though I do have my moments in the “too cool” template. I think I’ve created a good balance, for me and for my cousins. They don’t feel too dependent on me and I can have the liberty to do my own thing, but we can still connect.

I also feel like the trailblazer within this group. Since I’m the first in this generation, I achieve the important childhood milestones first, so I’m setting examples for my cousins. Whether it be high school, college, or even losing a tooth, my cousins follow my path. I should specify, I’m also the first child of my family to go through these processes in the American world, so my cousins don’t really have anyone else to follow. My aunts and uncles use my example when explaining things to their children, so my cousins don’t really get a choice either. I guess that’s just more pressure on me to be a good role model.

My dad’s side of the family is all way older than me. The next youngest cousin is over ten years older. Also, they all live in India. I don’t really get to see them much, but when I do, I’m one of the babies of the family. Actually, that’s not true since one of my cousins has a literal newborn baby. Either way, I’m still one of the younger ones, and my role with them reflects this. I don’t have any real responsibility when I’m around them, so I get to just have fun and let them worry about things. They’re the ones who take care of me when I visit. “Oh, he wants to eat ice cream? Let’s go then. Oh, he needs new clothes? I’ll go get some.” Instead of me having to think about the younger kids as I do with my mom’s side, I’m now the younger kid having others think about me. It’s fun being little.

So yeah, I guess it just depends on the circumstance. Maybe I’m the person who keeps the family in line with the modern/western world. I inform my family about current events and the latest news, so I could see that. I might also be “the homework helper”; my sister asks me for help on her homework basically every day. My cousins even call me for help sometimes. Like bro, I already told you y=mx+b. Maybe they see me as the chef. As I write this, my sister is waiting for me to come down to make lunch. All these roles make me who I am. Whatever way my family views me, I know my role is necessary in their lives.