There’s something about combining 1 and 1.  Three Dog Night told us over forty years ago that “One is the loneliest number that you’ll every do.”  They are only “terrible” when your teeth are growing otherwise it is the combination of ones we cannot resist.

No, this isn’t about marriage and that one and one are madly in love.  Two marriages is common these days with even three creeping in as in, “ready, set, go.”  The “go” seems to be the final one although I got to know and like one and two.

“One” just doesn’t seem enough.  “Let’s have one for the road,” doesn’t mean one but means the one added to the previous numbers.  I have two cats.  Seems right just in case one, you know, experiences that ninth live.   For vacation I pack at least two of almost everything in case one proves to be not enough.  I began to watch the current “Noah” movie but stopped when hoards of animals are let on the ark when only two were permitted.  (The only biblical part of that film was its title.)

I keep a cloak in my car trunk in case someone asks me for my cloak as Jesus demands of me, “Sure, here you go” as I walk back to my car.  Insincere or wise planning?

We have two arms and legs which suits us well in life’s travels.  You cannot have a war with yourself, even the Civil War was clearly divided into, twos.  Forget the distractions of sports when one team shows up for the match and you’re left with your second cup of beer with your second wife, your two children (one hers, the other yours), remembering that second mortgage on your home which explains the second job you have and your in-laws (two) visiting for the weekend (three).

There’s two sides to every story which we all refuse to believe in our rigid, single-minded views (Three Dog Night anyone?)  We should all have two friends when one takes a second look at us.  (Women seem to be much better at increasing friend size than guys are.)

All of our simplified-making life is based on that magic number: sin/grace, heaven/hell, God/devil, plaid/solid, up/down, inside and you already know, democrat and we don’t wish the second on anyone, Ecclesiastes and its solemn list of twos that most funerals seem to include and I’ve heard more than twice.

Stephen Sondheim gets his two cents worth with “Into The Woods” and the song, “It Takes Two”
“I thought one was enough, It’s not true: It take two of us You came through When the journey was rough.  It took you.  It took two of us.”

Your crisis needs to be shared and you call your first friend who has the message waiting for you.  You instantly call your second friend who answers never saying that it’s your second call.  The second friend listens and you smile at the caring advice.  Friend One calls back and you say, “It’s alright, I have it taken care of.”

Before this gets to be too (couldn’t resist) much, I end my tribute to twos.  Although I need to add for a second time the importance of twos in our lives.  I found a sale online and bought two shirts.  They arrive in…guess? – two weeks.