It was the evening of May 21, 1996, my parent's thirteenth wedding anniversary, and we had just returned from visiting what was to be our new home. I was ten years old, my sister eight, and the new three bedroom split would be perfect for what my parents had considered their complete family. As my parents quietly conversed in the dining room of the old house, I noticed a strange white cylinder on the bathroom counter top. Looking down at it, I shouted to my parents, "Hey, what's the blue plus sign mean on this thing?" My parents just looked at each other in total disbelief and silence fell upon their faces.
After nine months of anticipating a new family member, the night finally came. My mother knew she was going to have the baby that night, so we decided to go to a restaurant for our last meal as a family of four. We had a great evening with many laughs and sharing memories until my mother said that her contractions were coming about five minutes apart. My dad wasn't panicking, but new it was time to drop my sister and I off at my grandparents and get mom to the hospital. The next morning when I woke up the phone message said mom had delivered a baby boy, named Anthony. .
When we were young, my sister and I were always reserved, polite and considerate, however, Anthony's personality is uncharacteristic of us all. Anthony is the social bug of the neighborhood and his mischievous humor and daring actions have kept my parents very busy. My sister who is currently fifteen and I at seventeen have greatly influenced our teenage lives on Anthony. Our principles and actions have instilled qualities in Anthony that are much older than a six year old should have.
Having Anthony around has helped me mature as an adult. I have learned how much time and responsibility it takes to care for a child. This new understanding of commitment made me realize how important the decision is to have a child .