thirty-three

10.02.2014

the joke goes that my ears are folded because while we were in the womb, claudin was sitting on my head and squished them flat. but it's not true. we born feet to feet, which means we actually spent those nine months curled up like a vertically inverted mirror image - the physical manifestation of yin and yang.

when we were born, claudin came out head first and nose down, yielding to natural forces but with a certainty that made no hesitation. yin. eight minutes later, i came out feet first and sunny-side up, tenaciously but with a bit more effort. yang. 

births are auspicious events, they are very telling. claudin lives her life much in the same way she entered the world, impulsively and with conviction. she has heart, passion, is alluring, and incredibly generous. things don't come as naturally to me and i usually have to work harder at them, which has made me a pragmatic romantic (is that a thing?). my actions more deliberate, but hopefully thoughtful and understanding too. just like the taijitu sign that is composed of a dark half with a white dot and a light half with a black dot though, claudin and i have marks each other's traits.

yin yang.

the term usually implies contradiction, but it is actually more about compliments. claudin and i are not opposites - water and fire, earth and sky, dark and light - we are at once both of those things and none of them. we are interdependent and to know one of us is to understand the other. our relationship is dynamic in that way, one gives rise to the other. like our names: C-L-A-U-D-I-N and L-U-C-I-N-D-A. composed of the same letters, but arranged in a way that gives each her own unique sound.

so here it is (because i've been working really hard to set this up for the perfect cliche): happy birthday claudin, you are the yin to my yang.

18 comments:

gillian claire said...

wow, so cool... i loved reading this!! :) :)

andrea said...

happppppy birthday luci and happy birrrrthhhhday cladui! love you both very berry much. mua!

andrea said...

and of course i spelled your name wrong claudi. doh! mua anyhow. ;);)

Hannah Smith | fox and willow said...

I love that your names use the same letters, how thoughtful! Your relationship with your sister sounds so special! <3 Happy birthday!

Christine D. | The Plumed Nest said...

oh my. chills. i am imagining you might know how very very much i love this. my twin boys we born similar - the older luca, coming out head first - milo, came second with his bum first (very glad it wasn't the other way around!). they are so similar and so different. not the same and not opposite. individuals, yet almost a whole third being together. happy birthday to you both!

oh! and your names! i have such a pet peeve when people name their twins something like "addy and maddy" or some such thing. but what your parents came up with is so poetic. like the poetry of twinness. i just love it so much. when i read that i almost wish i could go back in time and copy the idea!

Claudin Mangum said...

I'd be lying if I said that reading that didn't make me tear up. i hate you. i love you. (i hate you).


*happy birthday*

Heather @ Run Like a G! said...

Another beautiful post!!!! Happy Birthday!!! :)

Amy S. said...

You two were some stinkin' cute little kids! And how funny about the letters in your names, I didn't even catch onto that before!
Hope you girls had a wonderful birthday!

Petra said...

beautifully written. I hope you had a great birthday xo

lucinda said...

:D

lucinda said...

K-SMACK!

lucinda said...

would you believe me if i told you that my parent never even planned it? total coincidence! ;)

lucinda said...

the best was watching you read it. xo

lucinda said...

you are so sweet, thanks heather!

lucinda said...

awww, thank you amy! we had a great time, which involved a lot of coffee and tons of hanging out. it was great. xo

lucinda said...

thank you sweet friend. :)

Nancy // and while we are here said...

This is so good!

Traveling Triplets said...

OK this is DARLING

 

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