What I learned from the Siamese Twins

This week I watched this ABC news report about Canadian Siamese twins conjoined at the brain, Krista and Tatiana Hogan. The truth is that I am quite squeamish, so this was a sort of tough video for me to watch. But I’m happy I did, especially as we head through the three weeks and towards Tisha B’Av.

What, for G-d’s sake, am I talking about? What’s the Siamese twin- 3 Weeks connection?

First of all, it is amazing to see how these twins, the only conjoined twins in the world to share a neurological connection, are able to see the world through each other’s eyes and hear each other’s thoughts and feel each other’s feelings and sense each other’s pain.

What a tremendous living model, I thought, of unparalleled empathy and unity for these three weeks. A fixing for the hatred and divisiveness between Jews which brought about the destruction of the Temple.

Secondly, it is incredibly moving to see the twins’ parents’ overwhelming love for them. While the hospital staff in the delivery room must have been pretty shocked and probably even repulsed at the site of these newborn twin sisters joined at the head, the mother, Felicia, tears up with emotion as she remembers the twins’ birth, explaining “They were beautiful from the day they were born…”

How wonderful to see the mother’s intense love and fondness for her playful daughters as they chase around her living room.

This reminded me of Hashem’s love for his children—for us. And especially, it reminded me how much Hashem loves us when we have compassion for and love each other.

6 comments

  1. yehudis chana

    Awesome. What a wonderful mother! Thank you, and Mazal Tov on the birth of your new baby girl–

  2. Tamar Miller

    i can’t help but ask…how do they sleep together? and go to the bathroom?

  3. Mazal Tov Chana! May Hashem continue to give you the strength to keep your home runnning, with your positive outlook and your nurturing personality.

    Thank you for all your sharing.

  4. Mazaltov on your new baby girl!! may you always enjoy her and have much nachat from her. Thank you for all the wonderful things you are doing and sharing with us.

  5. I found this video terribly upsetting. I watched it two days ago, and I still can’t get the pictures of these girls out of my mind.

  6. I am humbled and awed by these two mature, selfless, strong and good parents.

    They really see things straight.

    They have a kind of mental purity about them – they are on a mission to love and raise their children regardless of what kind of body(bodies) Hashem put them in.

    The twins are so very lucky to have these parents.

    And – dare I say it – the parents seem to feel lucky to have the twins!

    If this was a nisayon, these parents are passing with flying colors.

    Thank you, Chana Jenny.

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