Two Parallels of the Same Tree – What Is It Like to Have a Twin Brother?

From the day I could remember and before I was born, I always had a twin brother! My identical twin brother and I have been very close since the moment we opened our eyes and could always relate and talk about almost everything. He was like the perfect friend. Some would say, “Wow that’s so cool, I wish I had a twin.” Having a twin is great, but sometimes there are some downsides.

From the time I was a couple of years old, my brother and I would do everything together. My parents always told us we would cry together, laugh together, and even wear the same clothes! I was the older one, but I always felt like I was in his shadow. As we grew older, the over-foreseen shadow switched, and he was in place.

Being a twin has always felt like I was being compared to another version of myself. This somewhat scared me but inspired me with the willpower to continue to be better than my brother. It felt like a competition from the beginning. I didn’t like it, but it did help me change and become my own person. This competition has now evolved into a healthy rivalry and has helped me become a unique individual.

Now, let’s talk about the fun parts of having a beautifully annoying twin brother!

The fantastic thing about having an identical twin brother is that people sometimes confuse or mix us up. It’s always fun to see that people have their unique ways of recognizing us, whether it is through our glasses or clothing. Sometimes, we also get recognized in public just for being twins.

The latest instance of this was a few days ago when we went to the store. One of the store employees asked us if we were twins. It was cool to see how they recognized us and tried to tell us apart. 

But, with this power comes great responsibility, which my brother and I did not always follow! The fondest memory of using our twin powers was pranking our fifth-grade classroom and teachers. This day was a particular day, April fools. The clock struck noon and recess had started. My brother and I had met up near the monkey bars and switched our sweaters. Soon after this, both of us switched classes. As I walked into his class, my heart was pounding – I thought I would get in trouble! Of course, all the students could see that something was different. My face is similar to my brother’s and the students could see the difference; however, the teachers could not. When my friends wouldn’t stop laughing, the teacher surprisingly figured it out, and everyone in the class laughed!

As time went on, the Covid 19 pandemic hit. After the pandemic calmed down and we settled back into classes, the school put my brother and I in the same class! This was a new experience for both of us, considering it had never happened before.

I thought he would do everything I did. However, our personalities are so unique, that we both had different friend groups.

Surprisingly after that school year, we were both placed in the same class again. This time, we became a dynamic duo, and we did all our group projects together and got fantastic grades on all of our assignments and tests.

In the end and going forward in life, I realized that my brother is not just like me, we are two different and unique people. He needs me and I need him and the sooner I accept that, it will help me in the future. We both are going to the same high school, so we could both use each other’s help.

A message to all – your sibling is someone you should teach or look up to. After all, they share your blood. Even if you do argue with one another, in the end, it will always work out. They will be in your life, and you will be in theirs. So, try to help one another.

P.S. Guess which one is me? I’m the one on the right!