When we lose a twin, it feels for many of us like the literal end of our lives. That is true, in that it is the end of life as we have known it since the moment of our conception. As one twin explained to me: “The day my twin died, the lights went out.” Another twin said to me, “After Daphne died, it was as if I couldn’t breathe. I’d never in my life thought about breathing. I just took it for granted that Daphne and my breath were part of being alive.” When our twin dies, we must begin to breathe again; we must begin again with our lives, starting with what truly feels like the end.
In order to better understand our individual healing journey, let’s begin here by looking at the larger context of our twin loss. One of the most challenging things about twinship and twin loss is that for twins, the subjective “I” is often seen by them to be in the framework of “We.” We see ourselves in the context of another person. This is really important! – it is the issue of our identity – the question of “Who am I?” – this intrinsic perception affects not only how we see ourselves, but others as well. It affects the meaning we ascribe to ourselves in the world. When our twin is lost, the “We” is broken. It is physically destroyed. We are often left feeling half of a person. We lose our grounding, and we are off-balance. We often feel unable to negotiate our world. The twin that remains for us is both a physical and psychological memory, accompanied now by crippling pain. So not only are we bereft as twinless twins, but our sense of who we are as individuals can be severely affected, even threatened and dramatically challenged. Therefore, how we are affected by our twin loss depends a lot on the meaning of our twinship to us, and to whom we believe we are as individuals.
Identity and Twinship
Twins begin their identify formation in the womb. Whether fraternal or identical, they receive different stimuli and resources in the womb environment and, therefore, have different experiences that affect their fetal development. But from their cellular origins, they are ushered into the womb in relationship, both to their mother and to each other. And early on, they begin to show distinct, individual, and also interactive patterns of behavior and temperament, which have been observed and documented by researchers with the use of ultra-sonography. These patterns are often repeated after birth. I think it is fair to say that the rudiments of separate identity and relationship formation in twins have been clearly identified through ultrasound during the womb experience.
The powerful significance of an in-utero bond between twins, and its effect on their identity is more difficult to analyze from the inter-twin responses researchers
describe to date. Much more research needs to be done. We do know, however, that reports from twins whose twin has died in utero or in the early stages of life, indicate that a significant and prolonged experience of loss can result in the surviving twin even with early twin loss.
We further learn about the formation of identity in twins from the significant work of Ricardo Ainslie. His work focuses solely on the experience of twins at birth. His research concludes that the character of the twin bond and the sense of identity for each twin is significantly influenced by the environment the twins encounter after birth; most importantly, the twin relationship, that the parents and/or caregivers and siblings help to create by their conscious and unconscious perceptions and attitudes, and their interactions with their twins. He also found that the twinship experience itself affects the psychological development tasks that face each twin. He points out that the key factors here are somewhat independent of whether twins are identical or fraternal.
Two infants born with the same developmental needs, in the same time frame, profoundly changes a baby’s usual environment at birth. The manner in which the significant people in the infants’ lives accommodate themselves to this altered context determines how the twins are affected.
The twinship experience presents twins with psychological challenges to their development. Basically, the stretching of resources in the womb and in the home can negatively impact the psychological support and nurturing each twin needs, making the developmental challenges more difficult for the twins to meet. In this context, twins will often turn to each other for the comfort and nurturing they might have missed. They tend to meet each other’s social needs, and as a result, often experience fewer outside interactions than other children do in early childhood. This makes it more difficult for them to obtain a sense of themselves as separate individuals and hence, to form and consolidate their own identities. Twins, therefore, often separate and individuate in later stages of psychological development; for example, in early or late adolescence (see Ainslie in recommended reading list at end of article). Some of us, maybe even more of us than we realize, may reach adulthood without having fully achieved this important developmental goal.
The twinship bond is manifested across a spectrum of possibilities from an enmeshed psychological interdependency to a significant, closely bonded, but less entwined, psychological closeness – all the way to a highly conflicted and/or disconnected relationship and a conscious or unconscious decision to abandon the twin bond altogether. Personally, I would suggest these conflicted twins’ psychological separation may be difficult to successfully achieve, given the formative experience of twinship in the womb.
Taking into consideration that the issue of identity can be a source of vulnerability for twins, I think it is important to note that the research shows most twins, despite their challenges, go on to lead engaged and competent lives. The closeness, intimacy, and myriad of shared experiences create in many twins an ability to empathize and effectively achieve a genuine connection with other people. At the same time, they often persist in finding their own individual path. Possibly as one researcher put it, “They are affirming their long sought-after identities.” Understanding the meaning of twinship and the twin bond to our lives, and to our sense of who we are as individuals, we can be more sensitive to the challenges we ourselves face in the grieving process.
Loss and the Bereavement Process
We meet twinship now at the point of loss – at the place where some of you are struggling with your first months of loss, with the numbness, the depression, and the disbelief. And for others here – at the place where death and loss have begun to sink in – sometimes with a vengeance – and can no longer be denied. For some of you, you are at the place where you, with a deeply imprinted and unconscious memory, yearn for and miss the twin you never knew, except in the womb. And then there might be others who are at the place where you continue to suffer from your loss, though years have passed, and you have long since been left behind with your grief, hiding it in isolation. Wherever you are in your own place of loss, you are on your healing path; for the grieving process is an essential part of the healing from any loss.
An effective healing process is an active process. It entails being present for, and actively engaged in, the grieving process as it unfolds naturally within us. Sadly, our culture does not readily support or give adequate time for the healing process that nature officers us. As a result, we must reach out to find ways to engage and support it and ourselves. It is very important to understand and accept that periods of numbness, pain, fear, disconnection, despair, sadness, anger and guilt, as well as the whole range of human emotions, are common stepping stones along the healing path of loss. This path unfolds before us in an uneven, repetitive and seemingly cyclical way. We can feel we have finally moved to being able to cope and be present on any given day, and then be unexpectedly jerked back again by a sight, a piece of music, or maybe a smell, into a memory that holds pain and loss. The up and down emotional waves of our grief are a natural characteristic of the healing path. The psyche knows what needs to be revealed and when. It is as if all the corners of the twin relationship that we lost must be engaged and borne witness to.
An effective healing process involves understanding and feeling entitled to the unique character and duration of your own process. This allows you to find your own individual pace and to attend to your own needs as you walk your path.
The very core of effective healing entails listening for and bearing witness to, through experience and sharing, the emotional memory of your relationship to your twin. Your physical or sense experience of your twin was taken from you; but your emotional relationship imprinted in your body, in your heart, and in your psyche, is left behind, clinging to the shadow of the departed physical presence of your twin. In other words, one says goodbye to the physical reality of one’s departed twin in a way that allows healing by bearing honorable witness to the many memories of one’s relationship. Finally, an effective healing process entails courage, courage to be present for the places of feeling that sometimes seem unbearable. And it entails trust, trust in your own natural process of healing. And faith, faith that if you stay actively engaged in this process, you will integrate the trauma of your twin’s death and heal from the wound.
The healing process begins to happen naturally after the death of your twin. Often in the first stage, the symptoms are numbness and depression. You feel distant and removed from your life. You are without appetite, overtaken by tiredness, unable to engage others, even your loved ones, or to care. Tasks and chores are done mechanically, if at all. Some twins at this stage lose the ability to function for a period of time. This, to your family and friends, can seem like a further disaster on top of the loss that has already happened. Yet it is not – it marks the start of your
healing. It is as if your mind and body must stop in order to deal with the shock and mobilize for the healing tasks ahead. The process then begins to slowly unfold as the body and psyche open little by little in order to take in and integrate the loss. As I have indicated, healing from the death of a loved one is accomplished mainly through the experience of, and expression of memories and/or feelings. They arise naturally in the bereaved one. They need to be honored and respected and made room for, so they don’t get repressed and buried.
Relationship — Therapeutic and Group Support
In order for the healing process to unfold successfully, it needs to be made safe. The best way to make it safe is in relationship. Twins are born and grow in intimate relationship. Finding themselves twinless, they experience the essence of loneliness, and need the support and safety of relationship in order to heal. Family’s and friends’ continued presence and non-judgmental caring become an important support to their healing tasks. Another major source of support can be a group experience, ideally made up of bereaved twins. The knowledge that your burden of twin loss is shared and that your grieving experiences are also often shared, is an immeasurable gift, in terms of the comfort and healing potential it offers bereaved and lonely twins. I will be forever grateful to Dr. Raymond Brandt for starting this international support group.
I realize that with the exception of Twinless Twins Support Group International and its more localized regional groups, a twin bereavement group can be difficult or even impossible to find. But, other groups focused on loss can also significantly aid and nurture our healing process. Your local hospice will often offer excellent bereavement support groups, as well as Compassionate Friends and other national and local bereavement groups. One-on-one counseling can be very helpful, providing your therapist is sensitive to and educated about twin loss and your special needs. Advocating for your own needs is important to your healing process. You can share the reading list at the end of this article with your therapist or group. TTSGI also offers more reading information on its website.
Personal Support
One way to support and engage the healing process yourself is by expressing your feelings. One can do this by keeping a journal, through creating art or music, or through movement, as in dance. Or, you might support your healing process by expressing your feelings in a ceremony. The idea is to feel and be present for these feelings as they arise, and to express them in some form, thereby honoring and releasing them. Finally, creating ceremonies and ongoing programs in honor of your twin helps to bring closure to the physicality of your relationship and to carry forward the enduring qualities and spirit of your twin.
Grieving Your True Relationship
For all of us twinless twins, being honest to the best of our ability about our loss and our reactions to it, is essential in order for our grieving process to unfold. It is important to be in the reality of our relationship, as opposed to an idealized fantasy of twinship. This is often hard to do as our tendency is to want to remember only the good things about our twin history, especially in loyalty to our departed twin. A truly
healing bereavement experience entails bearing witness to all the events and feelings you remember and experienced. This includes the unrealized plans and dreams you had with your twin, the things you wished you had said, and the other places of disappointment and regret you still hold. It includes the negative as well as the positive. Every intimate relationship, by its very nature, holds both.
In order to heal and to fully acknowledge and honor the importance of your twinship and your twin’s presence in your life, you must allow time for the full experience of their loss. It is very hard to accept that the experience of loss and healing for twins is most often long and painful. The time your healing will take is very much geared to your individual background and personal experience. We must be patient with ourselves and the process. Take one day and one step at a time. The more you have loved and felt connected, the more loss you will feel and the more feelings you will need to process.
For most of you, there will be pieces of your emotional history that are less accessible and take time to be felt. They may present themselves years later. They become a post script to our healing process to be experienced, expressed, and released. Your major healing work, however, will have been done.
Challenges Stemming from the Special Character of Twin Bereavement
The complex identity issues and the often deeply mutual, gifting, and intimate relationship between twins, stemming from their beginnings in the womb, create a special character for twin bereavement. It also can create some confusing and difficult challenges. I’d like to mention a few of these here.
For some twins, there is an important need to acknowledge the significance of their twinship bond, both to themselves and to how it affects the way they experience their lives. This acknowledgement is necessary before they can move to grieve and integrate their twin loss. I’d like to give you a couple of examples. One would be a twin who has never been told that he was born a twin, when actually his twin died at birth and was not ever acknowledged by the parents. He then finds out about his twinship at a much later date. Another would be a twin whose twin died at an early age. Here, the parents refuse to talk about the death of the twin or the precious nature of the twin’s short life, as well as its meaning for the family unit, thereby disallowing the grieving process for the family and the twin.
The fraternal twin experience can become another example. Biologically, fraternal twins begin their lives from two separately fertilized eggs, like singletons. For many years fraternal twins were assumed to have a relationship that was more akin to siblings. Society’s idea of real twins meant identical twins. The close psychological bond of many fraternals has only been fairly recently acknowledged and validated in twin research literature. Here, I’ll use my own experience as an example. After developing a very close relationship with my twin brother, Michael, during the first six years of our lives together, we were forceably separated; my twin bond was discouraged at home – and outside we were sent to different schools. Years later, after Michael’s death, the bond I felt was invalidated by the first therapist I went to. It took me about twenty years after his death to be able to fully acknowledge my core relationship to my twin. Under societal, family and therapeutic pressure, I repressed the significance of my twinship, and it was years before I was able to see how deeply his death was affecting my life. I had to acknowledge the importance of my twin bond before I could grieve its loss.
A second important challenge for twinless twns is to recognize that out of longing for our lost twinship, we often try to re-experience our twin bond in relationships. We actually subconsciously transfer or merge out twin memory with the person we are relating to. Our feelings and expectations can, therefore, relate more to our past twinship than to the present relationship at hand. These expectations create confusion, misunderstandings, and unrealistic demands. They can also postpone our grieving process. Gaining an understanding of this common dynamic for twins enables us to bring self-understanding and important perspective to our relationships.
Supporting Our Individuality
Understanding that our identity can be seriously challenged when we lose a twin, we realize that growing into and/or consolidating a sense of ourselves as a separate individual becomes an essential part of a successful bereavement process. I believe that it is important to engage in experiences that afford us the time to listen to, and get to know ourselves. In so doing, we find out more about our own likes, dislikes, needs, personal challenges, and special gifts, and we learn to express them. Through our personal endeavors and experiences we learn to bring forth who we are in our own right. As we are able to define, understand and grow to feel safe in ourselves as separate individuals, we become ready to take the risk of acknowledging and accepting in the deepest part of ourselves that our twin has died; moving forward to do our major grieving, and thereby to heal.
I believe that by this acknowledgement and acceptance, we are able to set our twin free, releasing him or her out of the bonds of their death experience.
Misunderstandings and Isolation
As we take in the character and challenges of the twin bereavement process, it is important to note that family, community, and the psychotherapeutic attitudes towards twin loss and the timing of twin bereavement have an important effect on twins. When others misunderstand the special nature of twin loss and twin needs during their bereavement, twins can begin to mistrust their own healing process and to repress and negate their feelings. They then pull back into isolation and loneliness. And for some, the bereavement process is interrupted.
Twin grief is easily misunderstood. Other members of the family heal and “move on” leaving the twin still deep in their loss. In experiencing their loss, many twins feel half of themselves have died. Some feel they must start living their departed twin’s life, trying to take on the twin’s role and responsibilities as they struggle under their own severe loss. Twins also experience a survivor’s guilt attached to twin loss: They ask, “Why wasn’t it me who died?” or, “If I’d done something different my twin would still be alive.” When there’s a stillborn or in-utero loss, some twins blame themselves for robbing their twin of the nutrients it needed to survive. All these twin feelings and experiences underline the unique quality of the twin bereavement process and its needs, and of the importance of not only the twins themselves but also their families and counselors to understanding this special bereavement process.
Through the Twinless Twins gatherings and its website, www.twinlesstwins.org and other Internet resources, twins are meeting and standing for each other, and finding
and gaining understanding of their special healing needs and process. This shared knowledge and opportunity for relationship breaks the isolation that feeds protracted grief.
Completion of the Healing Process
I believe the healing process can be, in its essence, completed. The emotional history of your relationship to your twin is as deep, as delicate, as mutual, as powerful, as challenging, as complicated, as your twinship was. Our innate healing mechanism, as we mentioned, helps us to remember and to meet the different feelings that are present in the experience of and loss of our twin life. In engaging fully in our healing process, we bring honorable closure to that physical life, and the pain that has been held in the memory of our twin experiences begins to slowly subside. The memories can then become present for us in a positive way, and can act as a loving reminder of the gift of our twinship.
The loss of pain, as the chief component of twin memory, signals that the major part of this process has been completed. This does not mean that we never feel sad or cease to miss our twin and our twinship. How could we not miss someone and something so innate, so unique and so precious?
Healing does not mean “moving on.” It means being able to move forward with your life. It means we are able now to go back to a full engagement of our life; to see our life as having meaning beyond the physical reality of our twinship, which was so cruelly taken from us. Healing does not mean giving up our relationship to our twin or accepting that we are no longer a twin – we will always be a twin!!!
When we have essentially completed the bereavement process, our twin relationship is free to transform. Our twin, through many pain-free memories, and through the love that transcends death, can be profoundly present for us and our lives. Freed from the boundaries and stigma of death, our departed twins may now walk with us in our hearts, sharing the gift of who they were to us, and supporting us in our freedom to feel free to explore, to express, and to bring into being, the fullness of who we are.
Mary R. Morgan 2012
My niece passed away on June 4th 2012 at 12 years old. Need some assistance on how to help the surviving twin cope with her loss.
lost my identical twin brother in 2008,i,m afaid I,ll never get over him,he was 68 and I feel so guilty when I,m doing everyday things,,i,d love to think I,d meet him again one day.
I understand what you are saying about the ‘twinless twin’ moving on . . . unfortunately, it has been 63 years and I still am unable to ‘move on’ without my twin. None would know this from observing or knowing me but I know! I am now 68 years old, have raised 4 children and look forward, it seems, only to dying so I can, at long last, be with and in the arms of my twin?
My precious baby girl, Maia, unexpectedly passed away in her sleep on 11/14/15. She is a twin and left us at only 6 months old; she has a twin brother Gavin. They will be one years old on April 26th 2016. I am trying to focus on my two children, Gavin, and his older sister Alina who just turned 3 years old. I am having an extremely difficult time and each day find myself only thinking about Maia and how badly I miss and ache to hold her again. But I am also heartbroken for my two other children. How will Gavin be affected by loosing his twin sister; will this affect him throughout his life? They were extremely close, even in utero as the nurses rarely could differentiate their heart beats! Then after they were born, I constantly gave them twin time. They slept in separate cribs, but when they were awake, they played and rolled around together. I know Gavin wonders where his sister is… it breaks my heart knowing that one day I will have to tell him what happened. My older daughter, Alina, misses her sister too but speaks positively about her and always talks about Maia. I want my children to know about their baby sister and her memory. I just continuously wonder about Gavin and him being a twinless twin. I never even heard this term until I lost my beautiful baby girl. I don’t want him to be negatively affected in life. How can I prevent any negativity? I have read too many blogs about twins and how loosing their twin had such a bad impact on their life. I cannot let this happen to Gavin.
My identical twin sister passed away 8 weeks ago from bladder cancer, metastasis liver. I cared for her til she took her last breath aged 48yrs old. I watched what most people will never see, yourself dying, those last days. I never at the time realised the added trauma attached to that process.
I suffered horrific nightmares for weeks, and plunged into darkness.
I will never recovery from the loss, loved ones don’t understand how great the loss how it affects your every breath. We had never argued or had a cross word, ever! It was the closes relationship, my children are the next but no one really can comprehend the closeness. One day at a time now.
I lost my identical twin sister last October 2015 to MS complications. We were 56. She was born four minutes before me; and in all our pictures when little, she is the one with her our around my shoulder always being the protective “big” sister. She is the strongest person I will ever know. I watched her struggle and suffer with MS for over twenty years. My only solace is that she is no longer in pain.
I found the same thing- that no one gets the enormity of the loss of your twin. It’s hard to breathe, impossible to think, daily life does not exist anymore. I wish I could meet and talk with you because I “get it”. Wishing you comfort from a twin walking the same path.
My identical twin sister passed away 8 weeks ago from bladder cancer, metastasis liver. I cared for her til she took her last breath aged 48yrs old. I watched what most people will never see, yourself dying, those last days. I never at the time realised the added trauma attached to that process.
I suffered horrific nightmares for weeks, and plunged into darkness.
I will never recovery from the loss, loved ones don’t understand how great the loss how it affects your every breath. We had never argued or had a cross word, ever! It was the closes relationship, my children are the next but no one really can comprehend the closeness.
Losing your twin is devestating. My sister died at 69 of Stage 4 breast cancer, and It has been 3 years. To watch her actively die was heartbreaking and never leaves my thoughts. I can relate to Karen, that even though she has raised 4 children, she looks forward to dying and being with her. I have to endure the pain and loneliness by myself.
Thank You. I lost my twin brother in 1971 at 18yrs. old. I’m 64 with 3 wonderful children and a loving wife. I think of my twin daily and still feel an empty hole. I relate to your comments closely and I’m encouraged by your conclusions.
I tried to include myself in the Twinless Twins group, however, found myself feeling worse. Every time I see the word twinless is a reminder that makes me sad. I am not twinless, i am a surviving twin who will always have a twin even if only in memories.
Thanks to you Mary for a well written and helpful article. We met at TTI meetings some time ago and I’ve always appreciated your contributions to the group. I’m close to a final draft of my book honoring my twin.
Thank you for this article, Mary. I am now an almost 73-years-old man and lost my twin sister at the age of 4. She had crippling cerebral palsy but a beautiful face. I remember her well. Although she never talked (I found this out when I was 21!), I remember chats on the back porch as we observed the birds and elves and fairies in the garden.
She, in fact, DIED, but I was told that she had “passed on”. I knew that this was a short visit to “Heaven” and she would return (as opposed to “passed away” which was forever. No one said the word “death” or “died” in 1949, but I was aware of the secrets surrounding me. I went from a “sunny child” to feeling the “half of me was dead”. She had simply disappeared.
I successfully found “sisters” to twin with throughout my early years, realizing that I had been abandoned; eventually I came to know the truth – that I had been a part of a family deception. There was anger, but I was determined to deal with my own part in this.
I began my career working with emotionally disturbed children and adolescents and their families and later got my Masters in Social Work, running treatment centres. Throughout this time I had therapy as part of my training/support. Always the theme of the loss of my sister emerged in the work I had to do.
In 1990, I suffered a severe back injury which took me away from my work, which I loved, and faced me with being crippled with pain. I began writing poetry, many poems about my twin as well as a short story called “The Passing”. As I wrote, I felt healing in my own body. It seemed that I was not going to die early in my adult life, after all. I continue to struggle, now with COPD, that difficulty with breathing and I laugh at the parallels this can conjure up.
Now my sister is dead in body but her child’s innocent spirit lives within me. This is not some mystical, religious thing, but a real celebration of our bond, that still exists. I welcome the “female” of her to join the “male” in me and I am better for this. I blame no one for this. It has been a fulfilling journey.
Thank you for this article.I felt like no one would know how I felt.You do.
I have just lost my twin brother Nicholas, Jan 2018 aged 55yrs. The above research is helping me understand the bewilderment and loss of identity I feel processing my grief. Thank you. This is just the beginning of a long journey. Creatively as an artist, I need to channel this in order to survive, transform and move on. With respect and gratitude. Emma
Thank you for this article , I particularly identified with “We” and not “I” and a living memorial to a cherished person.
My identical twin Martin passed away on January 2016 after heart surgery, aged 53 .It turned out not to be a genetic problem, but I had to follow the same tests. We lived on opposite sides of the world once married, but our underlying “same” is so very difficult to describe to others.
I arrived 2 hours too late to see him before he died but I saw him in the chapel of rest. Even though some may find that scary ( seeing oneself in a coffin), it now gives me comfort when I think of him , I was blessed to have been born an identical twin with Martin but life is very different now.
When I received the phone call from my younger brother that my twin had just died, it felt like a lightning bolt had struck. It also felt in that instant that some form of umbilical chord had just been severed.
In the weeks that followed I realised I’d been feeling the pain of his cancer in my throat and hips during his last 6 months.
I am an identical twin. My brother passed away on the 18th December 2018 of cancer at the age of 62. I watched in horror as he deteriorated over the last 3 months. We ( yes it was always We) were close beyond words. We did everything together and never went a day without a text message or phone call. The pain and loneliness is never ending. My wife tries her best but will never understand. I now look forward to passing away myself so that we can be reunited. The emptiness is unbearable and I know that will never change.
Hi Nicole. I’m Lori. My twin sister died when we were 20. I see you are protective and looking out for the best interedts of your children. My mom lived in our twin world with us as we grew up. It’s a special family, and I want to welcome you to it. Your son can’t avoid a negative impact to his life from this event. But, you can help him adjust. Do you have her pictures , to show him? Save everything of hers. I grew In a shadow, competeing for attention from my parents, but also drawing attention I did not warrent,when we were together and dressed alike. You are going to imagine things your daughter would have done. Talk to him about these thoughts. He might feel overshadowed, but that is the nature of being a twin. Then talk to him about him. Talk about who he is without his sister. I think this will open a door to honest communication, perhaps. That is the hope and wish I have for all of you. Sincerely, Lori, twin to Teri.
My twin just died May 29 2019
My precious twin sister, Linda died last year. I was so grief stricken. My husband helped support me and he too grieved for her. A little over three WEEKS later, my husband died unexpectedly. There was no one else to help me. I have no children. I had to do all of the funeral arrangements/cremation insurance, ad infinitum, etc. No one came to visit due to Covid. I have had severe chest pains, but a test with radioactive dye resulted in a “normal” heart. I have awakened from nightmares, screaming so loudly that I was sure the neighbors would call the cops. Only my dog was there for me, rushing over to worriedly lick my hand. I hate it when people tell me I’m “strong.” Just because I haven’t died doesn’t mean I’m strong. It’s a daily effort to get through each day and I sometimes go to bed while it’s still daylight just to end the day. People suggest I take tranquilizers but I’m afraid that if anything eases my pain I will become addicted instantly, so I push on through. Mom just died last month, so that’s the third most important person I’ve lost in less than one year.
My nephew baby mama twin has passed and I left tonight crying because she is taking it to hard. She needs help badly.
Her name is Arnisha
If you can help let me know
Eleasia Jackson
510-381-4556
I’m now a twin less twin and my grief is more than I had expected. Although I try to go on with out my twin, it feels impossible. Most of my time is spent crying and calling out his name to return cause it hurts so bad! I need help!
The sister I recently lost was not a twin, but two years younger. Despite that, we always felt like twins, as it was only the two of us and we did everything together. In adulthood, both married, we still took sister vacations together and either talked or texted every day. We shared every detail of our lives, including all the physical maladies of aging. I always thought we’d become old ladies together, and that she would be at my deathbed holding my hand (she was stronger and healthier). But she was diagnosed with an aggressive uterine cancer that ended her life in 5 months. I’m having such difficulty, missing her so terribly, feeling breathless and weak every day, and crying to the point of migraine headaches. I’m relieved to have found this website, though. These twinless twins have described my grief experience better than anything else I’ve found. I do feel as though half of me has died…..