By Michael Conway

Being a twin has advantages and its disadvantages. It can be helpful and sometimes the best thing in the world, while at the same time it can be your worst nightmare.

A twin is a companion, a friend, someone you look after, and someone who looks after you. After sharing nine months is a small, liquidy womb, let’s just say that you come out friends.

Sometimes when people think of twins they immediately think of identical twins that dress exactly alike.

Some commonly asked questions that twins get include things like; can you read each other’s minds? Do you had a secret language?, and can you feel each others pain?

While none of these things are true, twins do share a special bond that simply doesn’t exist between regular siblings and it is not called telekinesis.

It is imprinted in your head that you twin belongs to you, and only you. At a young age you do not really need to have friends, because you have a twin. While this childish idea will slowly decay with time it will always be there.

Ever since a young age my sister and I were always together and everybody knew that we were a package deal. When you have a twin you know that at any given moment there is someone who will have your back, even if you have just been brutally mean to them. Forgive and forget is the motto that twins live by, because nobody is perfect and you are stuck with them for life.

Between forcing my hand in marriage and leading me around everywhere you could say that my sister was very fond of me.

Naturally, we began to separate at a young age and when you are always around someone it can be hard to separate… at least for Emma it was. I considered finding new friends a new and exciting experience, but Emma saw this parting as an unnecessary occurrence in her life.

In one instance Emma proved her physical dominance over the other children and her ownership of me.

Together in day care I found a companion in another young girl, earlier than Emma did. Unfortunately for the girl I belonged to Emma I was Emma’s twin. The girl was surprised when Emma (in my defense) proceeded to assault the girl by throwing a block at her. While it was not a defensive move Emma viewed this incident as an aggressive theft by the girl.

While Emma does not actually own me, that sense of protection was a prominent feature of our young relation ship. As we got older though and found our own groups of friends this protective idea quickly faded.

While the girl did not understand what had happened, or why she was attacked, she now knew that I was off limits.

These protective and responsible emotions have now faded yet it has been beneficial for a toddler to grow up with some to talk to and grow with.

When you have a twin it is nearly impossible to feel lonely or neglected, as you spend nearly every waking moment together.

As a toddler the brain develops and language becomes a new thing for children. Unlike being an only child with twins you have someone to communicate with and practice you’re newly found language skills. This can only help and further advance the learning process, as this constant communication helps develop Wernicke’s and Broca’s areas, the parts of the brain that comprehend and express language.

Growing up with a twin is a fun and eventful experience. At any time in the future I can pick up a phone and call my sister, I can loan money or just say hello, but having a twin is like having a best friends that will never leave you and always have your back.

No matter how angry or upset you get with your twin you will always have their back and you will always be friends, whether you like it or not.

Thing 1 and Thing 2. Peanut Butter and Jelly. Bonnie and Clyde. Salt and Pepper. Tom and Jerry. Michael and Emma.

Growing up, the pairing of my name with my brother’s was as natural as breathing, from the early years and even to this day we are still referred to as “The Conway Twins.”

Having a twin is different than having a sibling. From the moment I was brought into this world I have had a companion.

I’ve had someone to grow up with, an omnipresent human being with which to share every moment, good or bad, with.

He was there at the start, and he’ll be there until the end, he is not only my sibling, but also my best friend.

Although he is physically dominant to me now, when we were younger, I was obviously the leader.

Michael would stand around the house, waiting for me to grab him by the hand and lead him to our next destination. I would clothe him in magnificent costumes and play house with him.

When we were five years old I decided it was about time we were married. So, I draped us both in plastic jewelry and crowns, and we had a tribal ceremony right there in our kitchen.

At about six years old our parents decided to make the guest room into a bedroom for me.
They painted it bubblegum-pink, with an ornate canopy bed and a fairy princess theme. They turned our old beds into bunk beds for Michael.

For a month I refused to sleep in my room. Every night I would command Michael to sleep on the top bunk and I would sleep on the bottom. I claimed it was more comfortable, but I mostly missed the sound of his heavy asthmatic breathing and sleep-talking.

Our love for sports came at an early age, so when we were old enough, our parents enrolled us in Tee-Ball.

There was a young boy on our team by the name of Kyle. Throughout the season, Kyle grew very fond of me. One day, Kyle convinced me to climb the fence with him. As we climbed I saw Michael out of the corner of my eye, looking quite cross.

Both Kyle and I jumped down and my brother immediately went up to him and said, “Hey, she belongs to me, she’s my twin.”

Kyle looked bewildered and sputtered, “No she’s not!” I looked at Kyle very matter-of-factly and simply said, “It’s true Kyle, I do belong to him.” Kyle mostly left me alone after that.

Through everything, Michael is there with me. Through the fistfights, the late night E.R runs, the choreographed Back-Street-Boys dances, through the Nerf gun wars, and the ‘make me laugh’ game.

Through the ‘make-overs’ and the make-ups, he is always there. My twin is an essential part of my life. He was the first friend I ever had, and the only one I’ll ever need.