Younger sibling overshadowed needing ADVICE

shennie
Wed, 10 Nov 2004 20:15:39 +0000

At my house, we have 3 sons, 2 years between each. S1 is a near prodigy musician and currently attends a prestigious conservatory. S2 had quite a few problems in middle school with the attention received by older sib. So he chose a different path. Since we have a common last name, there were teachers in the high school that didn’t even know the were brothers! S3 is also a talented musician but not near the level or ambition of S1 but since there are 4 years between them, there is less pressure. I am very proud of S2 that he has been able to make his own mark in the world, even though it is much less well known that S1. S2 was involved in music throughout high school but invested his time into scouting and ended up with his Eagle.

Your friend needs to find a way to seperate himself from his brother and the expectations of others. He should look for things that interest him other than music that let him be himself. He is only in competition with his brother and the prodigy if he thinks he is. As soon as he is able to let go, accept himself for who he is and accept the others for who they are, he will be much happier.