I honestly believe that God knew right from the start that I would need a best friend. Someone that can walk hand in hand through life with me who I knew would always be there for me no matter what. Thus, God created the DeKraker twins.
We gained our first title at birth as "the twins." Or, even more specifically, Twin A and Twin B. We gained that title so the people who were working in the hospital could identify which one was older. Can you guess who is? That's right, it's me Twin B! Jamie is 12 minutes older than me. While she may say that those were the best twelve minutes of her life, I will contradict that and say they were the worst because her life is better with me in it (or so I'd like to think)!
Jamie was one of the guys when she was growing up. Always wearing her Michigan football jersey, playing sports with the guys at recess, and hated anything girly. Me on the other hand, well, I was wearing flower girl dresses to school and chasing the boys around on the playground. Shocking, I know. We were total opposites, but the best of friends. We were always together and we liked it that way.
Jamie was a grade above me (my parents loved me so much that they wanted to keep me around a year longer before I went off to college, at least that's what I tell myself). I got held back in second grade. Laugh all you want, but math was hard! Anyways, fast forward to high school. I wanted to study art in college and Jamie wanted to go to nursing school. Still got the total opposites thing going on. I found my identity in how many friends I had and boys who liked me and Jamie found her identity in her report card! I got called the pretty twin and she got called the smart twin (our second titles) which is absolutely ridiculous because YOU CAN BE BOTH PRETTY AND SMART! That was a little aggressive, but some people needed to hear it.
Fast forward just a lil bit to when I was a senior in high school and she was a freshman in college. That was the hardest year of my life. Not even for the obvious reasons of picking a college to attend, saying goodbye to friends, and graduating. But that was the first time Jamie and I had truly been separated from one another. She even asked me one time, "what are we going to do when we get big girl jobs and have to move away from each other?" I didn't know how to answer, but I can tell you, twins weren't meant to be separated. That year, was a time where I truly struggled. But she was there for me in every way that she could be.
Then there's always comparison. There is a lot of comparison when it comes to being a twin and I would be lying if I said that I never compared myself to Jamie because for a long time I did, and still do at times. But other than the comparison that we struggle with when it comes to each other, there is a lot of outside comparison from friends, family, people we have dated, etc. I don't think it is with any ill intent that people compare us, that's just what people do when it comes to twins. We have struggled with that in the past, but ultimately, we know who we are and we are okay with it. It's just funny to us that people find us so intriguing because we're twins. Apparently, it is so intriguing that we've participated in a twin study down at MSU. I mean, to us it's completely normal so it's funny that people are so interested in us. However, our relationship is kind of funny. We can go from yelling at each other one minute, to being cuddled up together watching Friends in my bed the next! Our parents would try to punish us for fighting so much, but punishment wasn't really effective in the sense that no matter what was said or done we would be fine minutes, even seconds later.
Now I am going to uncover a mystery that everyone has questioned from the beginning of time...TWIN TELEPATHY IS REAL! This is not a drill folks, twin telepathy is really a thing! Jamie and I used to experience it so much more when we were little though. Jamie was at someone's house one night and I was home and I started to complain that I wasn't feeling well. I ended up getting sick and a few minutes later my parents got a call that Jamie was also sick. I get it, sickness is contagious, but you had to be there. There was also a time when Jamie was out riding her bike and I was inside playing with Barbies or whatever doll I had. I started to complain that my ankle really hurt. There was really no explanation as to why I was feeling pain until Jamie came inside crying saying she fell and hurt her ankle. Explain that one to me! Now, we experience it in simpler forms. I can look at her and know what she's thinking and not say a word about it, then we will both burst into laughter. Or the common one of saying what the other is thinking and finishing each other's sentences. You can call these things whatever you want, but we know there is a sort of magic thing that only twins have and understand.
To end, I am going to get really mushy for a second. Jamie is my person. Someone I can honestly say without hesitation that I would truly take a bullet for. She is my better half, my best friend, my womb mate, the Twin A to my Twin B. Even though we differ in so many ways, there is nobody that I would rather share my DNA with. She understands me like no one else does and loves me in a way that no one else can. I can say the same for her. I am the only one who can be mean to her or make fun of her, and if you do you'll have to answer to me (so scary).
BUT I CAN'T FORGET!!! I also have two very amazing older siblings as well. My older sister Shawna and my older brother Adam. I was Shawna's little doll growing up. I would beg her to do my hair and makeup and she always would! She gave me some very interesting nicknames too, like Peach and Fred! For what reason I still don't know. Shawna and I are 16 years apart so that is why you might not see us together as often, but over the past couple of years I think we have gotten to be pretty close! Then there's Adam who is eight years older than me. He was the typical big brother growing up, torchering Jamie and I by making us do his chores and tickling us till we peed, etc. But once he left, I really started to look up to him and miss him. He became our superman even though he still beats us up whenever he comes home. He lives in a different state with his family and I miss them all so much, all the time. I didn't want to dismiss them in this post because Shawna and Adam are very strong, brave and admirable people. I was blessed with an amazing family even though we have our ups and downs. And I am so grateful to Shawna and Adam for blessing us with some wonderful nephews and an amazing niece. I love you both.
This one was quite a bit longer than the last, but that's okay. There are so many more things I could have said about my siblings, but I think this sums everything up quite well. Thank you for reading.
XX,
Just Jenny
Comments