My sister Susan and I were born 15 minutes apart in April of 1959. I was the first one born, but have always been the smaller version of Susan. Although we are supposed to be fraternal, we have always looked alike. It was difficult for people other than our family to tell us apart.

Even our boy friends had trouble. We always had fun with that as well as switching our classes in high school. We even have the same freckle patterns!

Our mother said that we had our own language as toddlers. We have always finished each other's sentences as well as shared the same likes and dislikes. We are both professional artists.

Much to my dismay, my twin Susan decided to move to Ireland to live with her husband and their three boys. I was heart broken. I am still heart broken that my sister chose to live so far away from me.

About six months after she moved to Ireland, I was awakened by a horrifying dream. The dream seemed so real to me, that I woke up crying and felt like I was in shock. Up to that time, I had never been so affected by a dream.

Although it was shortly after 4:00 am, I called and awakened my mother. Crying, I told her about the dream. I said that I felt that Susan had an accident. I explained that I had a dream where I could see Susan screaming and falling backwards landing on the ground. As she was falling, she was reaching her arms out to me to catch her, but I could not reach her. I could feel the pain she was having. It was very real.

My mother said that I should call her to see if she was alright, to alleviate my fears. When I called, it was about 9:30 a.m. in Ireland. Much to my relief, Susan laughed and said that she was fine, nothing had happened. She said "You just had a bad dream." We talked for awhile, than I went back to bed. The dream had affected me so much that I was unable to fall back to sleep. I had a very uneasy feeling that something was still very wrong.

Five hour later, I received a phone call from Susan's husband. He told me that Susan was in the hospital. She had been standing on a high stool reaching for something on a high shelf in the kitchen, when the stool went out from under her. She had fallen backwards and seriously broken her back!

I don't think anyone would have believed me if I had not made the phone calls after my dream. I guess I must have had some sort of premonition of her accident.

Although she still lives in Ireland, we still share feelings and have the same health problems. We have a great understanding of each other, but I still feel a great loss and sadness with her decision to live so far away from me. I am very lonely, my best friend, my other self is so far away living her life and growing old without me. I pray everyday day that she will come home.

Alice Babcock Lynch

Lanesborough, Massachusetts