Written February 26, 2023

Day 4 of 40 in a 45-day period: I find it perplexing that children share the same genetics and yet are so distinctly unique people. H and C are cut from the same cloth, and many people tell me how much they look alike.

I don’t see it. I’m not sure if that’s because they are such different people or if it’s because I see them so often I’m tuned into what makes them unique. I search C’s espresso colored eyes at times to see if the message is getting through, only to feel like I’m headed toward an abyss. I watch H work on the same gymnastics move over and over again and am amazed at not just her flexibility but the strength she has built up to hold those moves.

What truly sets them apart is how different they are as people. At times they are super tight and at other times oil and water. They may be at odds with one another but should someone else be at odds with one of them, the other will be at attention. When they were younger they were buddies; as they’ve gotten older they’ve had to figure out how to be a good friend to their sister when they can’t always relate to the ways their sister is acting.

Living in an apartment means a fair amount of togetherness, whether we like it or not, and lately not everyone has loved being so close. We were walking home from the bus stop a few weeks ago and C and H were walking ahead of me - something that used to happen regularly and doesn’t happen often these days. I caught this moment and decided to capture it so I could remember it in the oil and water phases that are more frequent right now.

Sometimes we may not like the ones we love, but we always look out for them.