being the oldest child

welcome to introspection ft. harsehaj! ⭐️ i’m harsehaj, an 18 y/o always up to something in social good x tech.

this publication is a place for me to reflect on productivity, health and tech, and drop unique opportunities in the space right to your inbox daily. if you’re new here, sign up to tune in! 💌 

btw, feel free to reply with topic ideas you want me to write about for future posts.

onto today’s topic: being the oldest child 🤸 

being the eldest daughter in an immigrant household generally has a negative connotation. carrying the generational trauma on her shoulders, being forced into a linear pathway chalked out for her, getting stuck with the strictest version of her parents, no older sibling to confide in, and the list goes on.

i’m fortunate enough that my eldest daughter experience hasn’t looked like this. i find so much joy in seeing my brother and sister grow up, knowing i’m setting an example of truly pursuing what you enjoy doing.

i personally like being the one they can confide in. i love it when my brother runs up to me with a new lego creation he made. 🪀 i love it when my sister sends silly selfies of her at school. i love it when my parents tell me they see traits of me in them.

siblings are a gift, and i love that i have 2 of them.

it’s the only relationship where you can fight and argue one second, then ask to go out for ice cream 5 minutes later as if nothing happened. there’s comfort in knowing i have 2 mini-me’s to love on.

being the oldest child has its perks. i am the designated advisor for everything to my parents. it feels special for my opinion to have real impact on major decisions within our family. we are truly a team, and i love having a leadership role in it.

i can’t imagine my life as the youngest or middle child .. no eldest daughter trauma to unpack here. 😭 

daily opportunity + resource drops 🔍️