Disclaimer: They're not mine and I never said they were.
It's hard to grow up as a Janeway. There's an expectation that goes with the name. If you're a Janeway you're supposed to be in command, to have your every word obeyed without question. But I never had that presence. I could walk into a room unnoticed and leave without anyone knowing I was ever there. I guess that had its advantages, there's a lot a young boy learns when he can listen, unheeded, to the conversation of adults, but sometimes I longed for the attention that my sister attracted wherever she went.
Shannon has Mom's fiery temper and stubborn nature. When she sets her sights on a goal she'll stop at nothing to achieve it. Sometimes it gets her into trouble but mostly it just means that somehow she gets her own way.
As kids, Shannon was always in search of adventure and I would try to cover for her when she ran into trouble, as she inevitably did. One way or another she always had our parents attention, whether it be with her latest achievement in class or her misadventures out of it. I guess I should resent Shannon for the attention she got and that I missed, but I don't.
I was the 'easy' child; the child who never makes a fuss; the child who does what he's told without argument; the child who goes through school without brilliance or disgrace; the child who is the responsible elder sibling, watching out for his rebellious little sister. I didn't have had my parents' constant attention but I never doubted their love.
I may sometimes have wished that I was more like Mom but I've learned to walk my own path and to be content with who I am. They tell me I'm like my father and if that's true it's something to take pride in. Dad is a peaceful man. He has a gentle soul and a quiet strength. He taught me the ways of our ancestors, how to find guidance in the spirit world. I learned from him that there's a balance in life. Mom needs Dad to balance her single-mindedness, to open her eyes to alternatives and to catch her when she falls.
Shannon will need someone like that one day and until she finds him I'll continue to walk in my sister's shadow and to do for her what Dad does for Mom. Because I love her and because, like my father, I've learnt that there's more than one way to be in command.