Being a way way wayyyy older sibling??

[Ca Plane Pour Moi]

Hi Ashlea.

My mother was 17 when her little brother was born (age gaps +1, 0, -3, -5, -17; she is 2nd of 5), she left home when he was 5 and she married my father. They have a very close relationship, sometimes I think she acts too much like his mother (I swear he gets more mothering from her than me!) and she always has him and his family round and looks after them. It's very different from the other sibling relationships and she acknowledges she treats her baby brother very differently, that she wants to look after him, but they are very close still.

Hope this is what you were after.

[Cricket]

I come from a large and spread out family - I'm first of 8. (All of the same mum and dad.) My youngest brother is 19 years younger than me. Right now, he is 8. I got married and moved out when he was not quite 2, so I have to say that the relationship I have with him and my next youngest sister (17yrs younger) is different than what I have with the siblings closest to me (my sister closest to me is my best friend) but I love them just as much! I mean, how can you really compare the relationship you have with a 25 year old, compared with what you have with a 10 and 8 year old? But as they grow older, we talk more, and they love being "aunt" and "uncle" to mine and my sister's kids, and we all get along great. I don't know them in the same way, right now, that I know some of my other siblings, but as I said, as they get older, the age gap becomes less noticeable, and I love them just the same anyways.
When the youngest two were babies - I loved it! I was still at home then, and it was like having my own baby, without the waking at night or discipline issues. We all spoiled them rotten. (The last two came after a six year gap.) I think it gave my mom a break a little bit too, since we were old enough to help with housework, and caring for the baby. We loved them to bits.
Sorry if that's a bit of a confusing answer, but it's the best I can explain it!

[Lulu]

What will be, will be - as long as you actually see each other regularly they will find each other.

I have MUCH older brothers and sisters - like about 15 years - we just didn't have squabbles over clothes or who did the dishes last night as we never lived together, but growing up I always thought they were rather cool and it was good having another adult (or bigger person) around that wasn't mum or dad. Probably worse than grandparents in some respects.....

Have fun!