The bond between siblings is often something that cannot be easily broken. No matter the arguments you may have, the distance that may separate you, or the different choices that you may make, there will always be a level of support present.
The bond among twins is slightly different. Studies have shown that twin fetuses interact with each other in gestation, and close monitoring of their actions revealed what seemed to be planned interaction rather than an outcome of spatial proximity. This suggests that twins are aware of each other in the womb, starting as early as 14 weeks; being a twin, I was fortunate enough to begin creating a bond with my sibling before we were even born.
One of the many special things about growing up as a twin was getting to start and experience life at the same time as my brother. While many pairs of twins have other siblings to share life experiences with, it’s just the two of us in our family. Only having each other, we didn’t get to experience having an older sibling to look up to, or a younger sibling to give support and guidance to. Growing up the same age, we were each other’s role models, going through the trials and errors of life at the same time; if one of us got lost along the way, the other was always close by to help figure it out.
While some people may perceive having a twin as an extraordinarily different case than having siblings of different ages, that doesn’t always ring true. As fraternal twins of the opposite sex, we were never mistaken for one another, dressed the same (that would have been a little strange), or forced to be interested in the same things, despite how much the stereotypes beg to suggest. We didn’t even attend the same high school as one another. This allowed us to branch out and develop our own self-image and identity, a huge issue that twins often struggle with.
In fact, there are times when we couldn’t be more opposite. It’s almost as if our personalities make up for what the other is missing. I grew up slightly more quiet and responsible, while my brother was loud and a bit more hectic. Physically, having different hair and eye colors, we couldn’t look more unlike twins (not to mention the over-a-foot height difference). We behaved as compliments to each other, rather than competing against one another and doing everything in our power to stand out.
When I am asked about my twin brother, I typically reply that he is one of my best friends. He is someone who will always tell me the truth on any matter, as harsh as it can be. He knows things about me that I don’t even know myself, and vice-versa. He also knows how to cheer me up just as well as he knows how to get under my skin. However, no matter how many times we've argued or said things that we probably shouldn't have, the twin-relationship that we share withstands even the toughest times.
Today, attending colleges that are states apart, I have never appreciated the bond that we share as strongly as I do now. We don’t have a secret language or twin telepathy, but the bond that we formed during the years growing up together is stronger than words can describe.
