The Duality of Sibling Relationships

Siblings have always been a fascinating topic to me. As someone who is a twin, I have a weird fascination with sibling dynamics.  My sister Izzy and I are identical twins, and we also have an older sister, Caroline. I am grateful that I am incredibly close with both of my siblings.  That being said, we could all not be more different.  This is that part about having siblings that I find so fascinating.  All three of us grew up in the same home, with the same parents, went to the same schools, and had the same opportunities, yet we are all different. I am sure there are cases where siblings are the same and people who are even replicas of their parents.  However, it is interesting that many siblings remain distinctly different. Although I don’t have a brother, I have always wanted one. This would be an even more interesting dynamic to experience firsthand the difference gender plays in the mix. 

Izzy and I are what my parents claim: yin and yang twins. We have entirely different interests, tastes in music, friends, majors, career goals, dreams, and even types of partners. Having different tastes in people has always been a blessing in disguise because we can live our own lives. Many people find twins to be a foreign concept. As twins, many people want to know if we are identical or fraternal and who is older. I am by a minute, but who is keeping track? The only frustrating part about being a twin is that you are constantly getting compared to each other in every aspect of life. Luckily for Izzy and I, our different interests eliminate any form of competition. I am lucky that I have such a supportive and caring twin. I can not imagine being an identical twin where we have the same friends, are the same major, play the same sport, and are carbon copies of each other. 

Although twin dynamics is a niche interest of mine, only children are also an interest of mine. I can not imagine being an only child because I go to my sisters for every detail of my life. I avoid only children because their stereotype is true: only children are more self-centered than those who grew up with siblings. Of course. This stereotype is not always true. However, it is still an interesting perspective because only children did not grow up having to share or compromise. It is an exciting dynamic to observe as well. 

My older sister Caroline is five years older than me. The older we get, the closer we become, mainly because we have overlapping interests.  However, that five-year age difference significantly impacted our friendship throughout the years. Caroline is 26 years old, graduated from college in three years, married her high school sweetheart, and is climbing the corporate ladder in New York City. It is safe to say that she is in a different phase of life than my 21-year-old twin sister and I. My older sister has served as a great role model for Izzy and me, but growing up, she also differed in interests and activities from Izzy and me. I was the social butterfly who played varsity indoor and beach volleyball and spent much time at the beach with my friends. Izzy loves film and prioritized her education over everything else.  Meanwhile, Caroline hated sports and was a theater kid in high school who now loves fashion and sparkly clothing.  Safe to say we are all vastly different.  

I have always found my fascination with siblings interesting. If you are raised in the same environment, you would think each sibling would be similar, with similar goals, morals, and interests. However, that is far from the case.