However, up until shortly before her death my mother was still introducing me to everyone as "my adopted daughter."
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My brother married a woman from Panama with a little girl, who has grown up to be our niece. Plain and simple, she is OUR niece. We love her a lot more than some of the other family nieces and nephews, simply because she is so loving.
So in the end, blood ties aren't all that marvelous all the time. Character, kindness, love and respect have more to do with "family" than plain old blood ties. Sister and I love our Mirla a lot. Adopted or not, she's our chosen niece. And her kids are darlings.