Upon finding out that I have a twin sister the number one question that always follows is, "Really? Wow, what is that like?"
If I were to guess, I would say that I have been asked this question about a million times. The truth is, I never really have a concrete answer for it. I normally just stumble around my words and say, "Oh it's great!" and then move on, but I'm going to try and describe it as best as I can in this article.
What is it like having a twin? It's hard to say, simply because it's all I have ever known. I was born having a best friend, a constant companion, someone I could always count on. People always say that it must be so strange, but I couldn't disagree more.
My sister is someone I can always rely on and it's reassuring to know that I have someone like that in my life. She has my back and I know that if I ever need help, she'll be right there ready to assist me in any way she can.
I remember in 3rd grade during recess, for some reason still unknown to me, I was punched in the stomach by some bratty kid who I didn't even know. I fell to the ground and started crying (as I'm sure any 8-year-old would do if unexpectedly sucker punched) and my sister, who witnessed the entire act, marched over and proceeded to shove him to the ground and kick and hit him anywhere she could.
And f someone hadn't run to a teacher to snitch, I don't have a doubt in my mind that she would've kept doing it until the end of recess. She's a collegiate gymnast now, and even in 3rd grade she had some serious muscles and didn't have a problem using them. So when I say that we protect each other, I literally mean that we do.
She's also my biggest support system, and I know that no matter what she will always be there cheering me on. She pushes me to pursue my dreams, no matter how unrealistic they may seem, and she believes in me in everything that I do.
When something unexpectedly good happens to me, she's the first person to respond in the family group chat (typically in all capital letters) telling me that she knew I could do it and going on about how proud she is.
Like I said, I know for a fact that I have a constant, supportive person in my life and I couldn't be more grateful for that.
Having a twin also means that the twin telepathy is very real (in case you were wondering). We finish each other's sentences, say things at the same time, know what the other is thinking, etc. Even if it's not a scientifically proven thing, my entire family believes in it. I remember a few weeks after we got out driver's license, my mom let my sister drive by herself to go to work but only if she promised to text her once she got there.
Of course, my sister completely forgot to do this simple task. After 2 hours went by and we still didn’t hear from her, my mom looked me dead in the eyes and said, "You're twins, so wouldn't you know if something happened to her? You guys have twin telepathy, right? Is she okay? Did she make it to work safe?"
I mumbled something about how I was pretty she was okay, but we should probably drive to her place of work to make sure that this was the case.
It turns out she was fine! Was it twin telepathy? Who knows, but it very well could've been.
Having a twin also means that we are two very different people. Most would assume we would have similar interests, but to draw off a very overused cliché, we are like apples and oranges.
As aforementioned, my sister is a collegiate gymnast. When my parents signed us up to do gymnastics, my sister excelled at it. I, on the other hand, was probably the worst gymnast to ever walk into that gym. In fact, I was so bad that the instructor came up to my parents after our lesson and told them that they needed to find a different sport for me because I was not cut out for it.
I could list off our differences for hours. She has red hair, I have brown hair. She's an Exercise Science major, I'm an English major. I used to always wear tie-dye or worn out soccer t-shirts, she wouldn't be caught dead in anything like that. I read the "Harry Potter" series 3 times, she took one look at it and made an audible noise of disgust.
We're completely different, but we celebrate these differences because it's what makes the two of us unique. Being a twin does not mean that we have to be carbon copies of each other, and we are living proof of that.
So what is it like being a twin? Well, it's a blessing. Many people don't have this type of sibling dynamic, and I am blessed to have someone like her in my life.
