Five, Four, Three, Two, One...Countdown to seeing my Twin

     In 24 hours and 15 minutes, (and counting) I will be heading to Oregon where I will finally be reunited with my twin sis, Neecy. I'm giddy, excited and beside myself. Imagine that you've been working on a 1000 piece puzzle. You're about to finish when you notice that there is a piece missing. You start looking under the table, chairs, rug etc...but still can't find the missing puzzle piece.  In the meantime, you have a puzzle that you've worked on for many hours, yet with a missing piece there's no telling when or if it'll ever be finished.

     For the past several years, I have felt like an unfinished puzzle and the missing puzzle piece; my twin sister, Neecy aka Simone. When we were little, Neecy and I mapped out our futures. We would marry twins and move in together. We figured our husbands would automatically get along, especially if they were also twins. We would live and raise our children together and live happily under one roof. But, with our childlike imaginations we obviously hadn't thought things through. We hadn't considered a plan B? What if we didn't marry twins? What if we didn't share a house or even live close to one another? Even worse, what if our husbands didn't get along?

     Well, Neecy and I didn't marry twins. We didn't have the double wedding that we had planned and we certainly didn't share a house or let alone, live in the same state. But, I'm hoping that even if our husbands aren't a lot alike, they will have a mutuality...they are both madly in love with identical twins who happen to be the best of friends. Like my sister, my hubby and I are somewhat opposites. My hubby lives life on the wild and crazy side.  He is impulsive and usually will blurt out whatever comes to mind. He actually chuckles when he laughs. He lives life to the fullest and doesn't spend a lot of time pondering. Neecy's husband is the opposite. He is quiet, and thoughtful and takes the time to listen and ponder everything that is shared. But, they also share quite a few characteristics.

     Neecy's hubby and mine are dedicated to making sure that their wives are happy, fulfilled and treated with the ultimate of love and respect. They both love the Lord and seek to be the husbands, father and men that God desires them to be. They both get us. They understand what makes us tick and have the patience and understanding to know that Neecy and I have a crazy need to call each other at least 3 times a day to talk about whatever is important to us at the time. They know and respect that we have a standing date to watch Grey's Anatomy on Thursdays and that we'll call during the commercial breaks to 'discuss' the happenings. Both of us will pop popcorn and pour a glass of wine and even if the show isn't as exciting as we'd like it to be, we'll give our personal critiques and share our frustrations or observances. Our husbands know that although they are our BFF's, Neecy and I are, and always will be, 'besties.' We can talk about work, church, kids, friends, disappointments, fears and share goals and dreams. We will share memories and goofiness without fear of judgement. Both of our husbands knew that when they pledged their love they were in for the ride of their lives. They knew that Neecy and I were knitted together as a unique pair. They understood that together, Neecy and I are quirky, creative and unique in our own ways. Even though they are different, they are very much alike.
   
     In a short while they will finally meet for the first time. I'm nervous but anticipate that they will connect because through a weird sort of understanding, they know that Neecy and I are 'creative', 'special', and very 'unique' . They will share similar memories and experiences because Neecy and I dance to the beat of our own drums. No matter what, they will continue with their love and dedication because they understand the territory that comes along with being married to identical twins.

     Soon, Neecy and I will complete the twin puzzle. We will see each other and for whatever strange reason, we will embrace and continue as if we haven't been separated by time or distance. For a brief while, Neecy and I will be girls again. We will connect with giggles, junk food and silliness. If only for a short while, we will both feel complete.  Through pain, sadness and other challenges, we will discover each other and provide what we have both been longing for...time with a friend who knows us better than we know ourselves.