For most people the definition of a twin is someone who was born at the same time as their brother or sister; but for the few lucky people who get the chance to be a twin, the meaning becomes deeper. Roughly 32 out of 1000 people are a twin. These people gain a best friend from the moment they are born for the rest of their life. I am a twin and I can’t imagine not having my sister with me. We do everything together; we have a connection that everyone else can not comprehend. We have been together since the day we were born. Our whole life we have shared a room, we have gone to school together, played soccer together, run track together. A twin for me is someone who has a built in best friend, someone who you can always count on, someone who knows you better than anyone else.

The dictionary definition of twin is two persons or things closely related or resemble each other. For the outside world the majority of twins seem indistinguishable from each other. They both look alike and act alike; they seem inseparable. As soon as twins are born, they are bound together for life. At first it is not a choice, whether you want to be together or not. But as you grow up, there is no other option. Not all twins look identical, but in my case, it is difficult to tell us apart even though we are not identical twins. For people, who do not know us, it is like one person was duplicated. We have the exact same blonde hair, green eyes, body type, and shoe size; we even have an identical scar next to our eye that is mirrored between us. The only distinguishable differences between us is that I have three freckles on my cheek, and am one inch taller.  In order to tell us apart when we were young, we had colors specifically designated for us. I was yellow and my sister was pink. 

It is very easy to identify twins when they are together; but as soon they are separated, no one would be able to guess they have an identical sibling. That is the burden that twins carry. They have something unique about them, but it is something that most people are unaware of. When anyone sees twins together, they get questions and comments asking how being a twin is different. These are hard questions to answer because there is no way of knowing the answer. I don’t know what your life is like compared to mine because I have never been or lived without my twin. But when there is only one, there is no comment and they are immediately like everyone surrounding them. It is like having a special talent that no one knows about; you have a doppelganger but it is unknown until the two stand next to each other. Whenever we go out together people always do a double take to make sure they are not seeing double. When we are not together, you can feel alone, even when you are not. It is like you are missing someone who completely understands you and does not even have to ask questions to know what you are thinking.

We are so connected that we can read each other perfectly. I know all her facial expressions, body language, and every tone she has. Examples of this is when we are having a discussion or debate at school or home, I can tell what her opinion on the matter is before she even says anything. I can tell by the way she looks at each person if she agrees or disagrees. And most of the time we have the same opinion. To me these facial hints are so obvious that it baffles me that no one else can see them. I know immediately upon seeing her if she had a bad day. I know when someone is annoying her or getting on her last nerves. I know when she is happy, tired, frustrated, sad, and angry. All of this without saying a word. Most people have that one really good friend that they do everything with. This is similar to having a twin, but the deep connection cannot exist the same way. I have other friends, and I can read them very well, and it is probably the same with most people, but it is not the same as having a twin. And only people who are a twin can relate to that feeling of connection, or the feeling of loss without them.

For the outside world, twins are two siblings who look alike. But when you are actually a twin, you know that no one else can understand what it is like being a twin. Not all twins have the same relationship with their counterpart, but I am lucky enough to have a best friend in my twin. Even though we are identical and have the same interests, we are two different people. Most people group twins together into one person. But no matter how similar twins are, they are always two different people.