… that’s how I often feel when I remember my twin brother, Gary, who died when we were only 35. He lay dying in hospital in Toronto, while I lay in my hospital bed in Belleville very sick the last month of my pregnancy with our son Chris. We lied to each other every day when we called each other to chat – oh yes, we were both doing very fine we would say. Gary died August 9th. When they brought me the news that evening (I knew inside all day that he had died and I was screaming inside that no one in my family came to tell me – don’t tell me there is no deep bond between twins) I went immediately into labour for Chris. A labour in shock and grief with a sick mother and baby is not a good thing, but that is another story.
My journalling reads: “You were my friend my whole life, always with me – you were my buddy since the womb. You had always been with me, my friend I brought with me whenever we moved with Mom and Dad. We were both in hospital miles apart that last month of your life after having had a wonderful weekend camping at Presqu’ile in early July. You were never to come out of that hospital, and I left my hospital with Christopher Gary Ronald Robert in my arms. He was named Gary for you. I didn’t think I’d ever recover that loss, but time helped strengthen me. I had another child to add to my family. I dressed them both in the sweater and hat you made for Chris and snuggled them in the blanket you made. I wish they’d have known you too! Attending our 40th high school reunion this year was so sad without you!! I’ll never forget you, my twin!!! ”
Here is my layout using the prompt word “Time” from Bird is the Word and Crate Paper School Spirit Collection Geometry paper, a Cosmo Cricket embellishment (My Best Friend scroll) and Heidi Snapp clock faces. I love to use sunburst design papers, they give so much energy to a layout. Please go to my posting here at my challenge blog another Freaking scrappy challenge … for a tutorial on how to use these papers. I meant to get this done sooner, but as you can imagine it was a hard layout to tackle, sometimes the emotions still run very deep.

design by Anne Pennington