Losing 2/3 of Myself

Losing 2/3 of Myself

Looking back at my childhood, I realized that I had always tried to differentiate myself from my triplet brothers and sought to become someone separate from them. I despised being a triplet and did not even want to be associated with them. I stopped playing the same sports they played and never interacted with them at school. I even fought to get my own room at home to physically separate myself from them. It wasn’t until I started my first semester at college that I realized how essential they are to my identity. They are a large part of who I am, so much so that I can’t help but tell my friends all about what they’re up to and how their college basketball careers are going. Being a triplet is always my go-to fun fact for any icebreaker. Even though I was referred to as the “other triplet” my whole life, I couldn’t help but miss that sense of belonging I had—I missed the comfort of going through a new experience with two built-in friends. That is what my mom describes them as, and she even hung up a poster in our childhood room that says “Because I have a brother, I’ll always have a friend.” No matter how much I hated that, or how corny it was, that saying will stick with me because of its truthfulness. As I entered college, this part of my identity that I took for granted became a key part of who I am, as I was left to navigate college without the two people who I had relied upon my whole life. I have found that—like most other college students—being removed from one’s siblings creates a feeling of emptiness within oneself. In my case, I thought separation was what I wanted, but I found that I didn’t actually realize how much I relied upon them. I regret that I spent the only time I would always be around them, wishing I wasn’t. College made me reflect on who I was without my brothers and create an identity that was solely my own, free of their influence. I never escaped being a triplet until I got to college, but it wasn’t until I got here that I wished I hadn’t pushed away that part of myself.

Max is currently a sophomore at Fairfield University studying English and Spanish with a minor in Educational Studies. He is the Head News editor for his university’s newspaper, The Fairfield Mirror. Max also works as a tutor to local Bridgeport students and plans to pursue a career in elementary education.

Max wrote his piece as he reflected on the relationship he has with his triplet brothers, Brody and Cooper. He hopes that as you read his story, you reflect on the relationship you may have with your siblings or family members.