Two Voices Joined...

I have this poem that hangs in my hallway, right in between Jacob and Kyle's rooms. It made me cry the very first time I read it and I knew I had to have it. The author is Teri Harrison, so here goes:

TWIN HEARTS

Awed to be expecting twins,

A mother's journey now begins

Blessed with heaven's gift of two,

I fell in love with both of you.

As days passed and months moved on,

I prayed for two, born safe and strong.

Thrilled by the promise of the joys to-be,

Like two voices joined in ABC's.

Shared sweet kisses on cheeks and lips,

Two toddlers riding atop two hips.

I promise to see you each as one,

Two connected, yet free lives begun.

Both loved completely, for all they are,

Following their own bright star.

I promise to encourage your treasured bond,

From babies to children and beyond.

Partners, soul mates and best friends,

The love of each of you will depend.

At last I stroke each newborn face,

I knew my heart was touched by grace.

My hands now full--as most will say,

Yet my life never richer than today.

Awed to hold my little ones,

Our lives together have begun.

Blessed with heaven's gift of two,

I will forever love the both of you.

I pass by this poem every day as I walk into and out of Kyle's room and I stop and reread it almost every time. Each time I read it, something different gets me about it. Lately, the stanza about the joys to be keeps jumping out at me and I finally figured out why. In the car, we love to sing, but usually, Jacob will sing a song by himself and then Kyle will sing the same song, or vice versa. Usually a fight will erupt if either one tries to sing while the other is singing, but lately, they have been asking each other to sing with them. When they do this, I can hear the smiles in their voices, and sure enough, when I look in my rear view mirror, they are both grinning from ear to ear. Tonight, they were singing "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" to try and teach Zachary. Sometimes all three of them sing the same song and it just melts my heart.

I don't think much about the natural bond that Jacob and Kyle have. They were never the twins that when they were newborns moved closer to one another in their sleep. They have almost completely different interests and talents. Sometimes it's hard for me to believe that they are even brothers, let alone twins, but when they become "two voices joined" I start to think back to when they were little and were learning the basics of life. Neither one went too far without the other. Jacob crawled just one week before Kyle. Kyle rolled over days before Jacob. It was like they were going to wait for the other one to catch up before they moved on to something new.

There is a bond between Jacob and Kyle. I just need to remember it and try to encourage it as much as I know how. Because of their different interests, they have the possibility of slipping away from each other or appreciating in the other what it is that they are truly talented at. I hope that God helps me with the ability to show them how to do the latter. They have to potential to be such great friends.

I love them both so much and yet my love for each of them is so different. I have had to put it in God's hands to love them each for who they are and to not let my little idea of what they should be play into it at all. I can't wait to see what amazing men they will become!

B