Did you grow up with a handicapped or disabled sibling?

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My older brother (3 years older than me) was born blind. They are not sure why. They think my mother had some sort of virus while she was carrying him. He is totally blind. At one point he had light perception but that has also diminished now. Growing up with a blind brother was simply my reality. I didn't know any other way. He was older than I am and therefore things were always the way they were. I have often wondered about how this has affected me subconsciously in my life. I have read books on birth order. My brother is the oldest and I have a younger brother. That makes me a middle kid and an only daughter. But yet........ I was kind of the oldest too. My brother did not go to regular public schools until his last few years. So, I was the first to go to my school. My older brother also was away at a school for the blind during the weekdays and came home on the weekends. While he was gone, I was the oldest. What does this birth order confusion mean to me? I haven't figured it out yet. I also remember feeling angry during my teen years when people would stare at my brother. I would often glare back at them! That's a non-issue with me now. It's just part of being different. But when you are a teen, being different can be really awful. I think that having a blind brother has made me a more sympathetic person. I'm also a practical and realistic person. I knew from an early age that things that don't seem fair, happen in this world. It is not a perfect place to live. I also learned that handicapped people are the same as anyone else. I also learned to be looking out for others. I notice the older lady who can't reach something in the store, or the mother struggling to get her stroller through the door. Growing up with a handicapped sibling has made me who I am and I often wonder who I would be if my brother had been sighted. I actually can't comprehend the possibility. It was just my "Normal". How about you? Did you grow up with a handicapped sibling or other immediate family member? How has it affected you life? What do you remember about your childhood concerning this topic? Was your life more difficult or just different?