Twin's Telling

My identical twin sister and I have always shared experiences that are completely unexplainable. My mother tells us of many incidents, like when we were both learning to walk. I was toddling around and stood up underneath a high chair and bonked my head. My mom testifies that I didn’t blink or cry at all but my twin was in the other room and instantly screamed out and began crying. Mom also said that since we could communicate that we had our own language between us. Mom said we would shut our bedroom door and not allow her in. She said she was always following us around and observing us, that we were so different than other children and our older brother.

In the Lakota way of life, twins are sacred. They are believed to choose their reincarnation to help their relatives on earth. Relatives to the Lakota include all life, winged ones too like the barn owl. The owl is very mysterious and often follow twins as spiritual helpers or warnings.

We grew up in the 70’s and 80’s on a cattle ranch and spent the majority of our childhood riding horses from the ranch to friends and cousins’ houses. Our ranch site was only one mile from our small South Dakota town and I would jog from our town house to the barn and corrals every day. If my dad or hired man was around I would saddle my horse and if nobody was around I rode bareback.

Among nature before the technology age, I noticed the hawks and eagles flying in the sky. The winged ones would float above me horseback to possible catch a mouse in the field that spooks up from my horse’s hooves. My elders told us that the winged ones are related to you and they are guardian angels looking out for us. They always told us to pay attention to nature’s signs.

I was about ten-years old and riding my horse home from a sleep over with a friend. It was bright and shiny out and when I was on the last stretch near our tree groves, a huge white barn owl flew in front of me and flapped it’s wings backward and hoovered over me. This was startling because it spooked my horse and it was noon! It was especially eerie the way the owl just hoovered and stared at me.

I put my horse up and ran home. It was summer and my mom being a school teacher was home. I burst through the door and told my mom about the owl. She was spooked and began to tell me more about owls and why they show up like that. She said sometimes they come as warnings and other times they are helpers. She said a short prayer for all good and positive things and told me to go wash up for a late lunch.

On my way to the bathroom I saw a picture on the piano that made me stop in my tracks. I had been having this reoccurring dream of the man in the picture for many nights. I did not know the man so I asked my mom who it was. She replied, “That’s my dad when he was young.” My grandfather lived in North Dakota and he would send my twin and I extravagant gifts but only saw him a handful of times. I told my mom, “I been dreaming of him and he looks like the picture. I dream that I am walking down a long dark tunnel and then at the end he is there smiling at me.” I said, “Mom, he died.”

My mother was shocked and replied, “Lucy, don’t say things like that. He is not dead.” The kitchen phone on the wall rang. My mom answered it as I was walking to the bathroom. She cried out and I ran into the kitchen. She said, “My Step-mother called and said my dad passed away in his sleep. He came home from the station (He was a Police Chief) and ate his favorite requested lunch, took a nap and never woke up.”

I remember my mom just staring at me. I couldn’t believe that I had just blurted out that her dad died and he really did. My little young soul knew through creation that we lost my grandfather. I believe that owl was my grandpa, flying home to say goodbye to me and take care of my mom. More proof that twins are sacred. The white barn owl is feared by many Lakota but to me they are just spirits with a direct message to those that see them.