Having a sibling can be fun (it can also be a nightmare, but only sometimes). And while I don’t have any other siblings, I think I can still properly assume that having a twin is where it’s at. I have a twin brother, and it’s fun, and crazy, and it’s definitely shaped who I am today. If you have a fraternal twin, read on to see if you can relate to these things too!
1. “What’s having a twin like?”
I’ve gotten this question a bunch of times, and I don’t mind it, but I never really know how to answer it since I don’t have any other siblings to compare this to! I mean, yeah, I love being a twin, but that has more to do with the fact that I have an awesome brother than the fact that we’re twins; the twin thing is more of an added bonus than the main part.
2. Getting hyped about twins in media (especially when they’re also fraternal).
Honestly, it’s really fun when a book, movie, or show features twins. We all love the Weasley twins, a bunch of us grew up with the Sprouse twins, and the Olsen twins are a fun throwback. And as much as I love the aforementioned identical twins, I especially get excited when I see something featuring fraternal twins, especially when they’re different genders. Whether it’s the Mystery Twins from Gravity Falls, Noah and Jude from I’ll Give You the Sun, or Cheryl and Jason from Riverdale, you can catch me supporting my fellow fraternal twins until the end.
3. You will never be able to live the dream of switching places for a day.
After watching The Parent Trap with Lindsay Lohan, a bunch of us probably wondered what it’d be like to switch places with a look-alike for at least one day. If you’re a fraternal twin, that dream fell flat on its face because the two of you don’t actually look like a mirror-image of each other. Honestly, my brother and I once considered switching places for a day as a joke when we were in our senior year of high school, but if we actually went through with it, I can think of at least one of my teachers that would not have been okay with that.
4. Moderating the age-old debate: Do you look like your twin?
So while everyone knows we don’t look the same, chances are if you’re a fraternal twin, you’ve still had people tell you that you both look alike or that you look nothing alike. Some people may have cited specific features, and others may have made this into a full-on discussion. But is it just me, or does this conversation happen more when you’re a twin than when it’s just between older and younger siblings? Sure, not all siblings (or twins) look alike, but if we do, it’s not too surprising considering that we share a gene pool.
5. The battle on who’s the older twin.
Whether you’re with your twin or you just mention that you’re a twin, there’s a nine out of ten chance you’re going to be asked who’s older. Sometimes one sibling might lie and say they were born first (I’m not naming names). Other times, the question of who’s older is complicated by the theory that the twin who’s born first is actually the younger of the two . If you’re asked this without your other twin present, like me, you might also wonder if your twin claims this mysterious upper-hand when you’re not around to say anything different (or maybe you do already know that your twin does this because when you met their friends they asked you if it was true). Any way you look at this, no one will ever really know who is truly the older twin.
6. Also who’s the favorite twin.
What’s more fun is trying to figure out who the favorite twin is. Your parents might tell you that they don’t have favorites, but sometimes we wonder if your parents, other family members, mutual friends, and maybe even your friends’ pets have a favorite twin. At least you’ll always be each other’s favorites (if you don’t have other siblings to compete with).
7. Your built-in ride-or-die.
If you get along with your twin, it’s 4830482x more fun because you have someone you can always convince to go on an adventure with. From doing something as mundane as going to the groceries to doing something as fun as when they visit you away from home, you can always depend on them for a memorable experience, and there’s a good chance you keep a list of fun things you want to do with them some day in the back of your mind.