When I Became The Family Mediator By Default

So here's this thing. It started about six months ago when our parents decided to take a much-needed break from each other. They just needed some space, you know? But now it feels like they're drifting apart and neither of them wants to make the first move. I'm the middle child in a family of three kids, sandwiched between my younger brother who's still kind of a kid at 10 and my older sister who's off to college soon. It's been tough because everyone's looking for someone to confide in or just talk about it with, but no one wants to be the first to bring up the elephant in the room. Anyway, it all came to a head last week during Thanksgiving dinner. Everyone was being so awkward and silent that even my grandma kept shuffling her dessert plates around nervously instead of diving into her usual family gossip routine. I could feel the tension building up and decided enough was enough. So yeah, I just blurted out, 'Hey everyone, we should maybe talk about what's going on with Mom and Dad.' Obviously, this didn't go over well at first. My sister shot me a look that said she thought I'd gone crazy and my brother looked ready to hide under the tablecloth. But something shifted in the room after that. Maybe it was the relief of finally having someone address what we were all thinking? Or maybe it was just the shock factor, who knew I had it in me to break this big, heavy silence? What followed wasn't easy conversation either, but it was better than nothing. We talked about how they've been spending less and less time together as a couple (not parents), we shared stories that made them laugh despite the tension (like when Dad got lost on his way home from work one evening), and by dessert, we were actually having a pretty good time. So here I am, feeling like maybe being the mediator isn't so bad. I've always been more of the listener in my family but now it feels like everyone sees me as the person to talk to when things get tricky. And you know what? I'm starting to feel okay with that too. Of course, it's not a job anyone asked for, but if it helps keep us all connected somehow, then hey, count me in. Now every time my siblings or even my parents need someone to talk to, they come to me first. And you know what? It’s kind of nice. They seem more open and less guarded when we sit down as a family to chat about these things. Maybe I'm not the asshole for bringing it up after all, maybe I’m just the one who finally got us talking.