Living As A Twin Has Its Ups And Downs, But I Wouldn't Have It Any Other Way

I get this question on a daily basis: "What is it like having a twin?" To me, this question is almost as common as someone asking, "How are you?" I always have the same answer every time. My answer is that I don't know any different, so to me, it's just as weird that they don't have a twin. Everything I've learned and experienced was with her, so that was all I knew. I wonder from time to time what it would be like to have been born without a twin, but I feel like that would've just made my life less interesting. However, having a twin does have its ups and downs.

Being a twin can be difficult at times. I like to describe it as having a shadow that is always by your side or behind you. It can feel as if you aren't your own person because everyone refers to you as one of the twins, never just as you. That aspect can get annoying real fast. Sometimes you just want to be your own person and you feel like you cant be. However, college is one thing that helped me with that part of my life because it allowed me to have many more resources to get involved with things I was interested in, not things we were both interested in.

One thing I can say is that having a twin has way more positives than negatives. It's like a built-in friend, a wombmate if you will. When she makes a friend, I make a friend. When she wants to shop, I get to shop. When she has a problem, I try to fix the problem. The bond twins have is hard to explain, but its one of the strongest bonds I believe exists. This person is with you from the very beginning of your life and understands parts of you that others don't even notice.

As time goes by looking back on it obviously there have been times when I wondered if I would be better off without a twin, but I know I wouldn't be. The older I get the more grateful I am that I have a twin because we are at the stage of our lives where many different things are happening and live in different places. Having a twin makes it just a little easier to get through the rough days because you know you have a permanent friend.