Two Peas in a Pod

this photo was taken by my cousin: barbarabanks.com

   The twins are 83 years old today. My Momma was born first, followed minutes later by her sister. For 83 years, they have been the mirror image of one another. These inimitable women were born at the onset of the Great Depression when double births were a rarity, a marvel, and a curiosity. They had individual names, of course, but most people just referred to them as The Twins or used an amalgamation of their two names. My grandmother loved dressing them alike, and they wore similar outfits into adulthood.

My grandparents with the twins. In order to tell them apart, my mother is usually on the left!

Here they are pictured with their favorite cowpoke, their brother.
Of course, the sisters are dressed alike, down to their socks
and their matching dolls!

Matching flowergirls with their ringbearer brother in  a great-aunt's wedding!

   They were precious little girls who grew into beautiful women. They attended the same college, joined the same sorority and both majored in education. My mother was the first to marry the love of her life and to embark upon a journey that led her to places afar. My aunt followed suit a couple of years later. They each bore daughters (my mom had three daughters, my aunt had two) and each firstborn was given the name of the other twin. Their lives were certainly different, but they both eventually traded their jobs in the classroom for careers as media specialists (aka librarians). They spent their summers together at the Big House in Fort Walton with extended family which afforded us, the cousins, the opportunity to become as close as sisters.


 It is an understatement to say that my Momma and her sister have a lot in common. When our mothers are together, we, their children, are always surprised by the commonality in expressions and mannerisms, yet we seldom, if ever, get them confused.


   Even though my Momma is a mirror image of her sister, she is my one and only Momma, and a one of a kind to me. I am thankful for her personality, her love, her sacrifice, and all of the unique things that make up the essence of who she is. She may have been born a twin, but God only made one mother that I joyfully claim as my own. Happy Birthday, Momma dear! I love you so...

Check out the uncanny mimicry...this was NOT posed!