Dear Cr-Abby from Lydia in Ohio

DEAR CR-ABBY: Like "Chaz's Brother" (June 17), who is living in the shadow of his extremely popular younger brother, I, too, spent years feeling invisible, but finally looked for ways to differentiate myself from my "perfect" siblings. In the process of pursuing my own interests, I also found friends who liked me for who I was.
Now that I'm 32, I realize that I have something my sisters don't -- strong friendships with people I never took for granted. My sisters, meanwhile, were used to everyone adoring them and never bothered cultivating relationships the way I did. People eventually got sick of being taken for granted, and time has been the true test for their relationships with those who once flocked to them.
Neither of them has friends who would drop everything to help them in time of need, provide a shoulder to cry on or help with a major move. On the other hand, by being more than just pretty on the outside, I have gained friends who love me for who I am and reciprocate the loyalty I've shown them over the years. Now it's my sisters' turn to say, "I wish I were more like you."
-- LYDIA IN OHIO

Dear Lydia from Covet-ville, OH,

Me think thou doest protest too much.
What was the purpose of your letter to shout "SEE SIS, I'm important too"?

As you may guess Cr-Abby gets a ton of letters and I cant possibly answer them all. Hence, when I get a couple of letters with the same issue I try to kill two birds with one stone.

Here's another chap with sibling-envy...

Dear Cr-Abby,

I write to you today from my hut in Kenya. My brother is running for President of the United States. All of a sudden I am having my life exposed to the world. The problem is there isnt any money attached to this unsought popularity.

I don't mean to complain but even the fat bearded women in the circus gets paid!!!

What should I do?

George Hussein Onyango Obama

Anyway, the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution assert that all men are created equal and are endowed...yada-yada-yada.

Unfortunately Darwin often has the last laugh.

The combinations from the DNA lottery spews out recessive and dominant genes in varying proportions. This pate' of life endows, Genius, Curves, and other Gifts with a reckless randomness.

You can only control the amount of effort you put in to maximize the gifts and overcome the burdens the specific "life's-soup" placed at your table.

Quit looking or comparing you to your sister. For god's saKe Lassie, spend less time telling everyone how much better you feel now...it is a pathetic cry that outs you as still being slave to sister-envy.

Cr-Abby