My Clone

There are some really weird things that happen to identical twins.

We say the same thing. At the same time. In the same tone of voice.

And our kids all look at us like they're in the Twilight Zone.

We also show up at the town park dressed the same. Again. It was so hot that Kris finally gave up on hiding behind the sweatshirt, and I told her we should strut it like we planned it.

Yes, we dressed alike. However, we don't have to call each other beforehand to accomplish this. It just happens when you are a clone. We used to hate it but now we kind of laugh about it.

By the way, I'm not sure how much of this is because we are twins, and how much of this is because we are sisters. There is another sister in the bunch, the younger, kinder, and well-rested version of us, and I must say, when you get the three of us together, we do dress, talk, and act a bit the same.

But there is a real big thing coming in my near future. It is so big I'm trying not to think about it.

My clone is leaving.

With my nephews.

This is a good thing, because it means Uncle 'Keve is home from Afghanistan. How can we ever be sad about that?

They are all leaving to be a family together. In Japan. For a long, long time. When I see those nephews again, they are going to be bowing their greetings to us and taking their shoes off at the door.

As for my identical twin, how will we ever know if we are dressing the same if we don't even live on the same continent? It won't even matter anymore.

I could go on and on with this pity party, but I'll stop.

And resolve to savor the next three weeks that we have with my DNA-duplicate and our nephews. I doubt much official school will be happening, but that's okay by me.

I'll even graciously take the ridiculous comments folks sometimes make about twins. All for the sake of time spent with the clone. My all-time favorite comment was the lady who looked at us and said, "Well you definitely look alike," then pointed at me and let the knife twist in my gut, "but I thought you were the older sister." Yes, thank you very much, mean lady. She's probably wearing skinny jeans right now and laughing at my bootcut mediocrity.

But I'll take it all, if it means I get more time with this little family of mine. So if you see me around town and I'm walking next to a clone, feel free to laugh at us and sing the Doublemint Gum song. You can even tell me I look so much older (or younger) than her, I can handle it.

A little caution is in here somewhere too, because if you come up to me and think I know anything about medicine, you are sorely mistaken. I haven't treated you at the med-surg floor and I know nothing about your hemorrhoids. Aren't you glad?! But if you run into my sister, look out because she can poke, prod, and IV you in two minutes flat.

Until three weeks from now, when she'll be refreshing her sushi orders in Japanese.

I'll be here, whining about it to you for the next year and a half. Prepare yourself.

Hope this weekend finds you enjoying your own family, and especially our Perfect Father.

Resting in Him,
Karen