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Rona Maynard's avatar

Victoria, what a piercingly vivid moment between your father and your sisters. Parents never want to admit they have a favorite child, and kids are certain that they do. Kids also have a knack for hearing what they want or expect to hear, and tuning out the rest, the “at this moment.” Our feelings toward others shift from moment to moment, a tough idea for kids to understand.

I am fascinated by sibling relationships and have seen some interesting research on the impact of parental favoritism. It hurts the perceived favorite too, and it casts a long shadow on sibling bonds between grownups.

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Jeffrey Streeter's avatar

This is a moving and poignant essay, Victoria. I guess the young Victoria was experimenting with rocking the boat by insisting on an answer to her question?

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