The ups and downs of being a twin

First aired on The Early Shift (05/09/11)

Two authors from a small town near Windsor, Ont., are going to have readers seeing double.

Allison and Lauren Knight, 28, are identical twins from Kingsville, Ont. While some twins desire to play up their individuality, the Knight sisters have embraced their twin connection and have been virtually inseparable since birth. During elementary school they always wanted to be placed in the same classes and both eventually went to Huron University College and graduated with double honours degrees in English and history. The twins also share a passion for art that has led them to combine their talents as collaborative artists. They've recently written a memoir, Mirror Mirror: Two Bodies, One Soul, which explains their unique relationship and the ups and downs of being identical twins.

mirror-mirror-cover.jpgLife can be more complicated when you're a twin, especially if you're as close as Allison and Lauren. In fact, the sisters are looking for an employer that will take on a pair of twins because they don't want to be apart while working. However, they insist the benefits of being twins always outweigh the challenges.

"There's something incredibly reassuring about always having someone at your side and knowing you don't have to explain how you feel to someone," Lauren explained to The Early Shift.

Allison concedes it may be uncommon to see twins who enjoy being so close, but says that neither sister feels the need to assert her individuality, since they've always shared the same preferences and ambitions.

"I mean, we've always had the same interests, same tastes, so it's not as if we had fun playing tricks on people or anything."

And the best part of growing up a twin?

"It was just having that companionship, I guess," Allison said.

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