Having siblings is not always the easiest walk in the park. There is always a silent rivalry going on to see who gets the most attention from mom and dad, the nicer toys received over the holidays or birthdays and the dominance the oldest sibling has over the younger ones (no matter the age difference).

When I was 7 years old my family’s life turned upside down. My parents were expecting a baby, but to our surprise the one baby turned into three. That’s right, triplets. Identical triplet boys, to be exact. While it was a complete shock to all of us for a couple of weeks, the shock quickly turned to excitement. Fast forward to the day they were born, boy was it a whirlwind, and I don’t think it has ever stopped.

I remember watching them grow in their little hospital incubators the first couple of months and wondering how someone so small could be so wonderful. But that joy and wonder I felt soon diminished as I began to realize I was no longer the only child in the house.

I had been the only child to my parents for seven years, so naturally I was used to getting the fun toys, clothes and attention. It was quite a difference when we went places and people walking by would stop and ask my parents if their boys were triplets. People would also come over to our house to help my mom out with them and sometimes would forget about me. Sure, this would make me jealous, sometimes it still does, but I know that it was never intentional.

I am finally at a point in my life where I can look back and reflect on all of those times and be genuinely happy. Without the boys coming into our family at the time they did, I do not think I would have grown up to be the same person I am today. At 7 years old I started to learn how to become an independent person. I started doing my homework and walking to the bus stop alone, some days I would even make my own lunch for school or go to bed without being tucked in at night. Those may sound like very minor things today as a 20 year old college student, but at the age of 7 many of my friend’s parents still did most, if not all, of those things for them.

Throughout the years following, especially as the boys became older I started to learn to appreciate them more. Of course I would get frustrated with them along the way, call them names or push them around, but at the time I didn’t know any better either. We had to test each other because if we didn't I don’t think we would have been able to start to form the relationships we have with each other and will continue to have in the future.

This past week my brothers turned 13, and it still has not sunk in that they are no longer the little babies everyone would stop and stare at. Instead they are towering over their older sister and wreaking havoc on all of the food in the kitchen. However, they are turning into wonderful young men who will succeed at anything they set their minds to. I cannot wait to see who they will become following their teenage years.