twins?

My sister Sarah and I have always looked very similar. I am older by 4 and a half years, so for much of our childhood we were too far apart in age to look too much alike, but by the time we "grew up" (around the time I graduated from high school) we (and the rest of the world) came to the realization that the Stone sisters did, in fact, look alike. Although we very rarely had similar hairstyles (Sarah's been dying hers since she was about 12...mine's always been much more natural), we had such similar facial features that getting a "hey, are you guys twins?" question from complete strangers wasn't out of the ordinary at all. Worse, strangers would frequently think that (upon finding out we weren't twins) Sarah must be the older sister. As disheartening as that was, it didn't really shock me-- she always goes all out with her makeup, hairstyle, and clothing...she always looks fabulous and ready to go to a party or something. I usually look like a college student on her way to class. Or bed. Whatev. I'm definitely the Plain Jane of the pair, though, so I understand how she ends up looking slightly more...ahem...pulled together. Anyway, before I go on with my story, some photo evidence, shall we?

This picture was taken on the Fourth of July 2003. That would have made me 20 and Sarah 15. And no, we do not normally dress alike. It was a national holiday and we were at my grandmother's house. Festive clothing was not optional.

Same summer, obviously before the haircut pictured in the above picture. This was during one of our many photo shoots that happened (in a car) for the sole purpose of determining if we looked alike or not.

At the beach in 2004.

Before her high school graduation in 2005 (clearly she has always opted for more eyeliner than me!)

Christmas 2005

In early 2007, though, Sarah did something that seemed to end the twin factor: she cut her hair very short (and very trendy) and (through a long, excruciating process that she has no plans to undo any time soon) went platinum. Funny how with completely dissimilar hair, the likenesses between us seems to go away!

At Kristina & James's wedding, March 2007

May 2007

Before my rehearsal dinner, June 2007

Easter 2008

And so on and so forth. As we get older, we see each other less and less and have fewer opportunities for fabulous photo shoots, but we pretty much look like the above picture now, maybe with a new hairstyle or two and different makeup. But this brings me to my next story, and the inspiration for this entire blog: yesterday.

I had just checked out at Kroger and was walking towards the doors to go outside. Across several aisles I hear someone hollering "Saaaaarah!! SAAAARRRAAAHHH!! Are you Sarah?? Sarah STONE???? SAAAARRRAAAAHHHHH?????" Well, you had me at "Sarah Stone." I turned to see what 50something woman would be making such a scene. I said "ummm...I'm Sarah Stone's older sister..." which trailed off into awkwardness because I mean...how well does she even know Sarah if she's unaware that Sarah a) has had short blonde/white hair for 3 years, b) does not live in or near Athens, Ga, and c) has a similar-looking older sister who DOES live in Athens, Ga? Clearly not that well...but apparently well enough to take a chance on hollering across the Kroger! So I walk over to her and set her straight: I'm Erika, Sarah's sister...and you are...??? Right, so she's a semi-family friend (really her husband and girls were more friends of my brother than anyone else) but she has met me before, maybe 10 years ago. She goes on to say that her daughter, who was with her in the store, told her (mom) that she didn't think I was Sarah, she was pretty sure I was Sarah's sister (couldn't remember my name), and she didn't think they should say anything because a) they weren't really sure about anything, b) they wouldn't know my name or me anyway, c) I mean, really. These are not close friends. Nothing is really to be gained by initiating conversation with the semi-stranger sister of a guy your dad knows. Luckily, the mom threw caution to the wind and aren't we glad she did? Otherwise I would have had nothing to blog about.

I called Sarah on my way home from the store to tell her the events that had just unfolded. After laughing hysterically, she said that she is going to choose to feel honored that people know of and love her enough to take a chance on screaming her name in a store 350 miles away from where she lives. She says she never knew she was so famous! And so that's just another reason I love my optimistic little sister...look at her choosing the bright side and hardly making fun of those people at all. :) It was also her 22nd birthday this past Wednesday...Happy Birthday, Twin!