Running With Vince: Coping With Loss, Healing, and the Bond Between Twins

Some stories and books are worth revisiting. I know that for the last ten years, I have annually read an autobiography by a Polish doctor, Janusz Subczynski, who emigrated to the United States and wrote about his journey growing up in Poland under Nazi and Soviet Occupation, through the time he practiced medicine in Michigan. Whenever I need perspective on my life and where I am, I find his two-part autobiography, In the Shadow of Satan and The Colors of Life, to fill that void.

Revisiting the doctor’s travels and life experiences, and also considering how much he positively impacted others during his lifetime, I want to continue living similarly with that passion for service. To that end, during my stint teaching summer school this past July, I reflected on the books I have written and the readers’ comments I have received over the years. My focus point was on what books had a more meaningful message that helped others, and continued to meet people where they were during difficult periods in their lives? With these questions in mind, one story stood out above the rest, and it was woefully unappreciated by me.
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The Power of Storytelling in Coping With Grief

Let’s be straight here and back up a few steps: I’m not writing this to toot my own horn; I am simply stating that I know Running With Vince, the story about twin brothers on a final road trip together, serves a purpose. Their relationship in life and death brings perspective on how we all face dramatic life events and how we can move forward, as well as cope with those changes.

More importantly, the book offers a different perspective, one that is reassuring, I believe, on what happens when we lose the ones we love and how that relationship remains present even after death.

Revisiting Memories as a Path to Healing

While many of us are familiar with Dr. Elizabeth Kubler-Ross and her groundbreaking works on death and dying, as well as the stages of grief that we experience, Running With Vince allows room for those stages, but also offers hope for the steps ahead. With Kubler-Ross in mind and Janusz, especially Janusz from our conversations when he was still among the living, I thought it was time to revisit my story dedicated to my twin brother.

Coping With the Loss of a Sibling or Twin

Admittedly so, this was a more challenging project to go back and read through. It had to have been at least eight years since I last picked up the book. Even then, whether I read cover to cover, I don’t know for sure. This wasn’t because I didn’t like the book or the story; part of it was pride.

The Unique Bond Between Twins

When I first wrote the book in 2011 and then had a family friend edit the story in 2013, I felt like my words, as well as my twin brother’s words, were being altered, and it was no longer the story we had co-created. Yes, the premise was unchanged during the editing process, and the major scenes, but certain words and the perspective shared at points didn’t sound like me.

Whether it’s fitting or not, I deleted several versions of Running With Vince during a computer change and file purge in 2022 and lost the final edited copy. I know this because the copies I pulled up on my Amazon account had different file names and year numbers. That made this revision all the more special because it felt like I was back at the beginning.

Lessons From Running With Vince on Hope and Healing

For the last two weeks, specifically, I had the privilege of reading about Christian and Vincent and their unique bond. I got to see into that world again, this twin dynamic they shared, and, of course, relive several moments from my life twenty-plus years ago. The emotions and overall message are still intact, as I intended, which is why I wanted to revise and release a new edition.
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What the Journey of Christian and Vincent Teaches Us

For those who haven’t read the book and are dealing with loss in their lives, especially the loss of a sibling, child, or twin, I believe you will find it helpful in navigating the next steps, the healing process, and the days ahead.

Finding Comfort in Shared Stories of Grief

As for this writer, it was simply lovely to revisit old friends and remember that not every story needs to be War and Peace, but one that embodies a message we can all embrace and understand. If you are looking for something new to read or to revisit, please do.


Tags: #GriefHealing #SiblingLoss #TwinBond #LifeAfterLoss #HealingJourney #CopingWithGrief #StorytellingHeals #RunningWithVince #HopeAfterLoss

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Vincent Chronicles