Twins Days

(L to R) My sister and me in 1964

August 5th, 6th and 7th is the official "Twins Days" celebration in Twinsburg, Ohio.  Though not attending, I have to admit I'm a bit disappointed that it's a 3-day festival.  Doesn't it seems like 2 days would have been sufficient (and a little more apropos)?  

With our mom and dad at my grandmother's house.

For the record, I'm a twin - born before fertility drugs and the trend of older women having babies (apparently higher maternal age increases your chance of having twins).  I don't have any other sisters so I can't really speak to the uniqueness of the twin relationship, though at times it's definitely had its benefits.

My sister and me on my wedding day, June 1990.

If you made the rounds of the Twins Days festival, I'm sure you'd find countless multiples who would gladly share their own experiences. But I thought today would be a good day to share the questions I am most often asked about being a twin (though with less and less frequency as I get older):


1)  Did you dress alike as children?


Yes and no.  As you can see in several of the photos, when we were babies we were often dressed alike.  In particular, our grandmothers and parents' friends were most likely to buy us matching outfits, but sometimes in different colors. When we started school, my mother encouraged us to chose our own shoes and sometimes that was the only distinction in the way we dressed - though we sometimes chose identical pairs - hello red patent Mary Janes!  Because we were never in class together (except a lone math class in high school) it never posed a problem for our teachers.   As we got older (later elementary school on) however, definitely not.  


2) Did you have a secret language?


No.


3) When you are sick is she sick and vice versa?


No, again.  


4) Do you have mental telepathy?  


Sorry to disappoint, but again, no.  Although, one year (while living in different states) we did purchase and mail our mom the same birthday card.  And, we did once both (unknowingly) mail order the same pair of  pants.


5) Did you ever try to trick anyone?


Only once, on April Fool's Day in the 5th grade.  In truth, our classmates found the whole thing so humorous, they practically gave it away with their laughter.  


 6) Which one of you is smarter?  


I never really knew how to answer this one.  In many ways, I find this question most insensitive.  But I have been asked it enough to know that I had to include it.  The truth is, I think we're smart in our own unique ways.  Like any individuals, we have our distinct likes and dislikes as well as certain abilities and gifts that we've worked to strengthen and develop on our own.  


I guess my final thought on the subject of twins, and what I'd most like people to know, is that twins are independent and separate souls, who happen to have a unique bond (and in the case of identical twins like me and my sister, almost the same DNA).  But for whatever part nature has played in who we are, our environment and life experience have shaped us too.  We may look-alike but we're not exactly alike.