I, too, adopted my third daughter. Her name is Katarina. But my adoption was different because I adopted her when she was already an adult. I adopted her with my heart, because she was like a lost child of mine. My second daughter Meily was actually the reason our paths crossed. They had become friends, and Katarina came to visit us in Caracas. A cold European at first then very quickly fit into our way of life and became one of us. To be able to love wasn’t new; she was, however, with great pleasure starting to learn day by day how to show it. She was making the transition from a cold European to a warm Venezuelan woman. My daughter Meily always spoke about Katarina with immense affection, and I’ve grown to love her myself as if she was my daughter from the beginning and I knew her my whole life. And not just me. My daughters have grown to love her as their own sister, my sisters as their own niece, my nieces as their own cousin. My dear daughter, you know and feel it best in your soul. I’m glad to be one of your "Moms", and I’m proud of have a daughter like you. I love you and can’t wait to see and hug you again...

Many hugs and kisses, your mom Estella Leon