'Beginning with the End' is a compelling
book dealing with the loss of one's twin. Author Mary R. Morgan lost her twin
Michael Rockefeller in 1961 when he disappeared on an anthropology expedition off
the remote coast of New Guinea. As the daughter of then Governor of New York,
Mr. Nelson A. Rockefeller, she had to deal with this crisis in the glare of the
public eye.
Throughout the book she gives important
insights on the experiences that one encounters following the loss of one's
twin. The information will not only resonate with fraternal and identical
twinless twins but anyone who has
suffered the loss of a loved one. Her personal account of what it means to
repress grief over a long period and how the support one gets from family and
friends affects an individual is very instructive.
The need to adjust to life without a twin is
dealt with in a detailed manner. The steps she used to achieve this are interesting.
I was particularly struck by the use of imagery and the impact of nature.
Serious food for thought is given to the
twinless twin as he/she learns how crucial it is that you do not try to see
your twin in another individual as it causes a myriad of problems. Mary reveals this as she relates how it
affected her relationships.
The feeling of being off balance is an
important revelation. Mary’s account is a real eye-opener for those of us who
have had a similar experience.
Her flashback to moments spent with Michael
encourages the twinless twin to treasure memories while trying to adjust to a
whole new world. Immediately the saying “Once a twin always a twin” comes to
mind.
Mary
holds a Masters in Clinical Social Work from Columbia University and has played
an important role as psychotherapist to other twinless twins. Of particular
note is her assistance to those who became twinless twins following the 9/11 World
Trade Center disaster.
I recommend this book as it offers an unique
perspective on loss and grief as well the healing journey that one must take if
life is to continue to be meaningful.
