OK-I admit it. I
actually like being a twin. Since my
sister and I are fraternal we have our own unique personalities yet enjoy a
special bond from our shared interests.
We have two older sisters who we are very close with but they don’t see
the world through the same eyes that we do.
Mary and I grew up in the 70s, when multiples were not
nearly as common as they are today. I
enjoyed the extra attention bestowed by the adults all around us. I never seemed to tire of that unremitting
question, “Are you Mary or are you Laura?” I had an utterly charming neighbor
with Down’s syndrome who would ask me this question all the time. I think it was the only thing she could think
of to say. I actually met her at a barbeque
a few summers ago. I had not seen her in
at least 30 years. With no prompting from family members she
walked right up to me and asked “Are you Mary or are you Laura?” I felt like I was ten years old again.
Although Mary and I went to different colleges and pursued
different career paths (she became a software engineer, I became a Food Scientist
and Pharmacologist) we have identical tastes in just about everything. We don’t even live in the same state yet our
homes are stocked with the same food items and personal products. Quinoa? A must have.
Confixor from Aveda? Isn’t it the
best! And don’t get me started on clothes.
While our two older sisters are rather frugal Mary and I will splurge a
little for something that is well-worth the cost. I was feeling a little guilty for purchasing
a pair of $125.00 flip-flops but reversed position when I walked into Mary’s
house one day and saw my indulgent footwear sitting in her foyer.
Not only do we shop at the same obscure clothing stores but
we invariably purchase the exact same items at the same time. “I just bought this great sleeveless Camo
shirt. No way! So did I!” I recently flew out to visit Mary
to attend her daughter’s communion. Sure
enough we wore the same dress (different colors) from the same label. Can you guess what happens on our birthday? We frequently send each other the same card
and similar gifts…or the date just falls off the radar and we forget. We embody that cliché, “I forgot my twin sister’s birthday”.
What do you talk about when you are with your siblings? Never a dull moment with Mary. We both enjoy the same TV shows and we both listen
to NPR. (Mary wants to make a Story Corp recording but I am not sure if we have
THAT interesting of a story to tell). We
also share the same impression of other people; people that we like, and people
that are annoying. It’s so liberating to
not have to warm up to a different point of view. Lol!
Lately, Mary has been insisting that we get a blood test to confirm
whether or not we are identical or fraternal. I am pretty sure that our
husbands will tell you we are fraternal. Somewhere along the way she eeked out an extra
1.5 inches in height over me. I’m sure
that’s a pretty good clue.
