Being a Triplet Anonymous

“So, like, if I pinch you, will the other two feel it?”

“Are you all identical, even the boy?”

”How many minutes are you oldest by?”

Being a triplet comes with daily quirky questions. I do not remember the exact moment when I realized my background was special; growing up, having both a brother and sister my own age certainly did not feel unusual. But as we mature, it is increasingly apparent that my situation is a blessing.

Lauren has taught me the importance of embracing uniqueness. She and I are nearly opposite: On the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, I am an ENTJ (extraversion, intuition, thinking, judging) and she is an INFJ (introversion, intuition, feeling, judging). For a long time, these contrasts were challenging rather than complementary to our relationship. We made everything a contest—who could be smartest, prettiest, Mom’s favorite and all else under the sun. Of course sibling rivalry is natural, but being the same age heightened the blatancy of our differences. We constantly judged each other for our differences and tried so hard to be what we could not be. I could not fully love my sister until we matured and used our contrasting qualities to our advantage. Our relationship has taught me that some things are just...