DEAR ABBY: I gave up my child for adoption when she was 7 days old. It was one of the hardest things I have ever had to do. Please do not get me wrong; the choice I made was a loving choice. I did what I felt was right for my child. You see, I love her more than the very air I breathe, as I do all my children.
This happened approximately 18 years ago, and I have since had two more children. The child I gave up has met her sister and knows that she is her sister. Now, as she approaches her 18th birthday, she has made it clear that she wants to meet me face-to-face.
Abby, I am terrified to meet her. I don't know what to say to her. Could you please advise me about what to do? -- SCARED IN VISTA, CALIF.
DEAR SCARED: Tell your daughter exactly what you have told me, and do not be afraid. The most important message you can give her is that you never stopped loving her, and you did what you thought was best for her at the time.