Did you know that for every 250 births in America, a set of identical twins is born? That is a lot of double fun or for some double trouble! You have to wonder what that does to a twin’s own identity. Our America with Lisa Ling explored the life, joys and struggles of being an identical twin.

The episode kicked off in Twinsburg for the 36th annual Twins Day Festival. We are introduced to the twiniest of twins, Marlene and Darlene. As they coordinate outfits, jewelry, purses, jobs and life, I realized this was their thing. Some people are obsessed with scrapbooking, others throw themselves into the world of cross-dressing, it all really is a choice of lifestyle. Although they were raised to celebrate their oneness, they have chosen to embrace the quirkiness of it all. Now before I get any letters from people thinking I am dissing twins, I will clarify. Not every set of twins dress and act alike, nor would they want to. Sometimes being a twin can drive you to find your uniqueness….something that doesn’t have to be shared. But not these two women. When Darlene decided to be a teacher, she registered for the classes and called her sister to inform her that she was going to be one too. Their bond and commitment to it was obvious and even sweet.

Lisa Ling then shared the difficulties she had being a world apart from her sister when she was arrested in North Korea and held for what felt like an eternity here at home. The pain and fear Lisa felt for those 140 days was so hard…she couldn’t help but wonder if the bond of twins is even stronger. That was when she introduced us to Doreen and Linda who were born in Japan, daughters of a Japanese mom and an American GI. Their mother, Reiko, was left to fend with 2 twins all alone. An American woman offered to help babysit while she was working. She would pick up Doreen each day and bring her back later. One day, she never returned and despite the search, Reiko was able to locate her child.  The abductor had taken her out of the country.

She had set up house in Ohio.  Later in life, Reiko moved to New Jersey with Linda and her new American husband. She hired a private investigator to find her missing daughter, but nothing turned up. Both girls knew they had a twin, but Doreen was told that her mother sold her for $500 and a television. How horrible to tell a child that. Reiko told Linda that Doreen was with her father while she secretly searched. Lisa, you are killing me with these shows! Here I am crying AGAIN as Doreen tells her story of eventually searching for her mother only to talk to her on the phone. I can only imagine that must have been one of the greatest days of Reiko’s life. Now they are closer than ever and look forward to intertwining their lives even more.

We then traveled to Minneapolis to meet 23 year olds, Chelsea and Bailey. From the beginning they were nurtured to be inseparable. While most people in their 20’s are trying to find their own identity, these sisters worked to hold their bond. As I sat and wondered about what would happen if one fell in love or moved out, the show drops the next shoe. The sisters met twin brothers, Jason and Scott, at the twin festival. After lots of texts and phone calls over the year, they were set to meet up again at the festival and see how it goes….will there be a twin connection? What if only one of them likes one? It’s so complicated. As the girls arrive at the airport to be picked up by the boys, Lisa knew once again what we all were thinking…who gets dibs on who? Apparently in the twin community there is a ranking. The group up as first borns (A twins) and second borns (B twins). Sounds fair! There was a time when Chelsea tried to leave. She moved 3 hours away and within 2 years she moved back home to be with her sister. By the end of the festival, the twins decided to remain friends…for now.

Ed and Jim are lifetime twins’ day attendees. They have gone 27 years in a row. Jim was diagnosed with leukemia and only given 3 to 5 years to live. With so much to live for, he has already pushed that to 9. Luckily Jim was a twin – Ed has been able to give him stem cells to help keep him alive. As an identical match, the cells had no problem being accepted. BUT suddenly the cells weren’t different enough and were no longer fighting the cancer. Despite being sick, they were certain to make it to their festival…knowing it may be their last. With what seemed like tears in his eyes, Ed watched his brother quietly. How was he dealing with the pain of his twin suffering from cancer? This was one area Our America didn’t cover – twins dealing with the loss of their identical twins and how they cope. As for Ed and Jim, I hope they have many more festivals together.

I know that when my sister weeps, I typically do as well. When she is angry, I am fired up within seconds….it what sisters do. I imagine being a twin is intensified. When one hurts, they both do. It appears they are spiritually part of one another. There must be comfort in knowing that you are never alone. There is someone who relates to you on levels that many will never understand. The level of intimacy and acceptance is all encompassing. My only concern is that if you are so wrapped up in each other, then who are you once the other is gone? But by blocking the world out and focusing so much on one person, is that a good thing? NOW of all people I can’t believe I am asking this. My best friends are within my family. When I hang out, they are the ones I want to spend time with. I love them. Twins are simply doing the same thing. Knowing how lucky I am to have such an incredible family, I couldn’t hope for more for any person. More power to them. I am curious though…do they get twin-vy? When one of them is better at something or find that they are unique in some way, do they become twin envious? As the youngest of 3 daughters, I can confidently say that there has to be some of that. But for some twins it must be hard. If the focus is on being so connected, finding your own thing may make them feel disconnected and somewhat rejected. So…if there are any twins out there, let me know! I’d love to hear about it.