Twin-Speak

There are lots of things that my sisters and I share, the same round, chipmunk-cheeked face, the same eyes and smile and an uncanny ability to tell what each other is thinking without saying a word.

I remember living in the dorm at college watching the 1998 Olympic figure skating competition. At the time, my sisters and I took figure skating VERY seriously. We were all big Michelle Kwan fans, but somehow she didn't do well and that tit (pardon,) Tara Lapinski won the gold medal. My poor roommate had no idea how hard I would take it and what it meant to me and my sisters. Shortly after the results were announced, one sister called me. Although I could barely hear anything but some quiet tears, I knew it was her. Then, not ten seconds later, call waiting announced another call, my other sister... At the same time, all three of us on the phone to each other, separated by call waiting and five hours in each direction (Lexington, Kentucky, Memphis, Tennessee and Bethalto, Illinois,) each with no words and tears streaming down our faces. Although our disappointment in the results of a silly sport (ok, I see that now,) may seem a little dramatic to some, at the time it was truly a beautiful (and I'll admit, strange) bonding moment among sisters. At that moment, no words were needed. We knew what the other one was feeling at that very second, and because of this we were all there to provide comfort when we needed each other. So, thanks Michelle Kwan for your shitty track record (still not over it, clearly) and providing a bonding moment for us.

Many other instances of our unspoken communication have come directly from references to Little House On the Prairie, which we all watched religiously as kids. Although I can't remember the exact episode (but I'm sure my sister will,) we still repeat the quote "It's not Doc's fault" when times are hard and it's easy to blame the most obvious party. Also, there have been many references to "Eliza Jane," "Dumb Abel" or "country girls" that largely go misunderstood and unrecognized by anyone but us.

I guess that a lot of siblings have their own "language" of sorts based on common experiences, where certain words or phrases trigger specific memories. I love that my sisters and I have a code that no one else shares, and I know that when we're old, senile and can't remember which way is up, we'll still be referring to the crabby old lady across the hall at the nursing home as "Mrs. Olson."