We are identical twin sisters who always get asked about what it is like being a twin. Once, we decided to see if we could switch places without anyone noticing. So, when we were sophomores, we decided to switch places in our chemistry class. We shared the same class, so we only switched seats to see if our teachers or friends would notice. While we got away with it for a few minutes, our friends ultimately figured it out, and we were no longer fooling anyone. To people who did not know us, it was astonishing to see that our friends could tell us apart and expose our mischievous little setup. To many, being an identical twin means being the same person with the same personality– impossible to tell apart!
From the moment we were born, we’ve shared a unique bond that has always kept us side by side. As identical twin sisters, we often find ourselves fielding questions about our unique relationship. We’re frequently asked, ‘Do you have twin telepathy?’ ‘Are you built-in best friends?‘ ‘Do you ever switch places?’ These questions, while common, only scratch the surface of the fascinating dynamics that exist between twins.
We realized that many people do not know what it is like to be a twin and have common misperceptions about it. We also asked three other sets of twins at YLHS to answer questions about having a twin and what it is like.
First, many wonder if being a twin means you are automatically built-in best friends. We would say that that perception is very true. When you are born with a twin, you have someone always by your side. Since twins are the same age, they generally are going through the same things, which makes it easier to communicate and relate. Avery Criner (11) has an identical twin, Hayden Criner (11), and says she and her twin are very close and do almost everything together. She says, “My twin and I are built-in best friends because since we grew up together, we know everything about each other.“
Many people look at twins and immediately think they are the same person on the inside and out. However, twins still have different personalities despite being born on the same day. Freshman Jack Spillane (9) and twin sister Morgan Spillane are fraternal twins, and Jack pointed out that “[he] think[s] being a twin is nice. Some people don’t know about twins because [they] can’t telepathically communicate with each other.“ Twins are usually very close, don’t get me wrong; however, we cannot read each other’s minds like people say twins can.
One thing that can be universally agreed upon by most twins is that having a twin is like having a built-in best friend. It’s a friendship that you don’t even have to ask for, a constant companion in life. Hope Bucklin, who has an identical twin sister Faith, expresses her love for her twin, saying, ‘I cherish having a twin sister. It’s like having a friend who’s always there, no matter what.’
It’s like having a built in best friend I can always talk to and count on to always be there for me.” Without a doubt, twins share a special bond that regular people don’t normally achieve, and we think that is what makes them so special.
