Child Spacing

My children were "sort of" planned 7 years apart. I always read that 7 years was the best spacing between siblings as it allowed each of them to get all the best of being "only children" while still maintaining the camaraderie of having siblings. It ended up being a happy accident that my children are 7 years apart. So what are the pros and cons in my opinion?

Pros:

• It has allowed me to develop my career between children, and with better planning could allow even more career development for others.
• It really does free the parent from having to meet the demands and pressures of two children close together in age, thus allowing parents and children more time in one-to-one interaction for a more supportive and relaxed relationship. My oldest son, Riley is my best friend and we have a connection most parents/children struggle to achieve.
• While I've heard that the larger the age gap the better an older child's self esteem, it didn't quite work out that way for us. Sometimes alternative family structures stink.
•  My oldest isn't particularly jealous of my younger son. He understands why a baby/toddler needs more attention. 
• They adore each other. Truly adore each other. Riley is like a 3rd parent to Hayden. He always has his best interests at heart and will stick up for him against all odds.
• He is sort of built in child care. I'm not leaving my 2 year old at home alone with my 9 year old but if I need to take a shower Riley is more than capable of entertaining and keeping alive his younger brother for 15-20 minutes.

Cons:

• Delivery complications. My second cesarean was much harder to recover from than my first. 
• I frequently feel as though I'm being pulled in 2 completely different directions. They have almost no mutual interests.