As an only child, I always wanted a big family. We were very blessed to have our four boys and one girl in ten years (ages 15-25 now). I had witnessed families with siblings who were not close, even as adults. My husband supported my desire to have a close knit family, so from day one when our little ones would quibble over toys and things, we always pointed out that they needed to work it out nicely because their brother or sister was truly their best friend for life. As they grew we not only always ate meals together, played sports, created traditiions, and enjoyed fun activities as a family, but we also continued to share that they were the only people who would always have shared parents and shared experiences that no one else we get. We pointed out that they would always have each other and be there for each other. I told them how lucky they were to not have all the pressure and focus of an only child, but if anything ever happened to us they would never be alone in the world. Dye to my husband's job we moved a lot through the years and each time as they were each other's playmattes. To this day they are all close, even geographically separated with jobs and college. The youngest two are in high school and next year when our fourth goes off to college (a college choice near where our oldest lives), I'm worried our youngest will feel a little lost for the two years she will be the only child at home.