You Love Him More ...

Four words I knew would be coming. Four words that I wasn't sure when they would be said but I figured it was inevitable.

Turns out today was my day.

As I rode with my daughter to the grocery store, just hours ago, we had the following conversation ~

Her: Does this get me out of carrying the groceries in the house?
Me: Is that the only reason why you wanted to come with me?
Her: Yes.
Me: Well (insert brothers name here) usually does it anyway, so it is not like you are actually getting out of anything.
Her: Oh I know, he's your chore boy. Can I help you with anything? (she says this mocking her brother)
Me: I always ask you BOTH to help. He responds. You don't.
Her: I know, I know. I'm lazy. I'm the teenager.
Me: (laughs) That's right.
Her: He will do whatever you ask, when you ask it. Not me.
Me: Well you are a different person.
Her: Yes, I am and you love him more.

HOLD FUCKING EVERYTHING.

Me: What?
Her: You heard me, you love him more.
Me: I don't think so.
Her: You do.
Me: No, I love your DAD more. Dad first, children second. He will be the one left when you all grow up and leave me.
Her: (shrugs)
Me: It doesn't matter what I say here, you aren't going to believe me but I love all three of you equally. You need to remember that each of you are different.
Her: You are right Mom, I'm not going to believe you.
Me: I felt the same way about my brother and my parents. They always did more for him, than me.
Her: Oh really?
Me: YES and to this day, I would say they loved him more.
Her: (silent)

Alright so I s~t~r~e~t~c~h~e~d the truth a bit. I don't really believe that about my brother. But when I was her age, I totally did. Probably because I was the one getting into trouble. I was the one shoplifting and lying about where I was and who I was with. My brother? Has mental issues and ... well ... lets just say it's taken me ... years (maybe even until now) to realize that I was a different kid (a kid that lived in the real world, not in my head). They needed to focus on him and get him treatment for his issues.

While I grew cobwebs sitting in the recliner waiting to not be grounded and plotting my escape. Two different upbringings but really? It's all the same.