The Villages - May 2017 - 45

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But the twins were well behaved, although their mother told them tales of morning struggles when the toddlers
left her running in all directions, attempting to catch and
clothe the tenacious two. As the girls got older, they learned
important things about life from the kind, keen examples
their parents set at home.
"Family came first," Ronni said. "Our parents stressed
those values from the time we were young and right
through our adult lives. As we grew and married, we knew
we would have to share holidays with our spouses' families
also. So we decided Thanksgiving Day and Mother's Day
would be 'our' days. Randy, our brother, Steven, and kid sister, Merrill, and I always knew we would see each other for
those holidays. It didn't matter who hosted, or even if some
years we went to restaurants. We would all be together."
As far as strange stories go, the sisters don't have any to
report. As identical twins, they have had only the usual experiences you'd expect from those sharing the same genetic
characteristics.
"We think alike, finish each other's sentences and have
similar tastes and interests," Ronni said. "When we're
shopping at the same store, I grab fast because I know my
sister is going to be drawn to the items I like."
But as much as they dressed and acted alike, their career
paths were very different. Ronni worked as a paralegal in a
district attorney's office. Randy worked as a registered dietician and spent her spare time cooking healthy meals for
the family. Her specialty: chicken cacciatore with pineapple
upside-down cake for dessert. But since twins share everything, Ronni was happy to take home heaping portions of
it all.
When retirement came, Ronni and her husband,
Bob, purchased a home in the Village of Buttonwood. Randy stepped in to help decorate. It didn't
take long for the twin to realize she wanted to be a
Villager, too. Back in Long Island, she and her husband, Gary, searched online for a home and found
the ideal place in the Village of Pennecamp, just one
mile from Ronni and her husband.
"Of all the homes I could have chosen, I ended
up so close to hers by accident," Randy marveled.
The sisters are glad to be near one another.
"We play pickleball in the mornings and are still
in contact in the evenings, texting each other to find
out what we're up to and how our miniature projects are going," Randy said. "We're always in touch,
more so than we were up North with an hour of
travel between us. It's very convenient here."

The two have made lots of friends, although their nearly
identical appearance has left many of them confused.
"I have had entire conversations with Villagers
who would end up saying, 'See you Friday for golf.' And
then I'd realize they thought I was my sister the entire
time," Ronni said.
And while the twins find
Family came
more time together in The
first. Our parents
Villages, their children and
stressed those
grandchildren are now farvalues from the
ther away. They visit often,
time we were
however.
young and right
"I get excited for them to
through our
come down from Long Isadult lives.
land," Randy said. "They're
jealous of all the activities
- Ronni
we're involved in. When
they call, they laugh when they catch us on the golf course.
We're always out and about. We're much more active than
we ever were in New York."
Five years ago, Ronni and Randy lost their mother. But
before she passed, they promised to keep their tradition going - to do their best to honor the "family first" credence.
"Randy and I love our life in The Villages," Ronni said,
"with our busy schedules and social engagements."
On Mother's Day, pickleball, golf, and other Florida-fun
activities will have to wait. The twins will sit down to a table set for spouses, children and grandchildren. They will
celebrate two incredible backseat births that happened 70
years ago on Mother's Day. They will remember the mother
who taught them a vital lesson: Family always comes first.

MAGAZINE

45



Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of The Villages - May 2017

Contents
The Villages - May 2017 - Cover1
The Villages - May 2017 - Contents
The Villages - May 2017 - 1
The Villages - May 2017 - 2
The Villages - May 2017 - 3
The Villages - May 2017 - 4
The Villages - May 2017 - 5
The Villages - May 2017 - 6
The Villages - May 2017 - 7
The Villages - May 2017 - 8
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