My niece.
My family was small and continues to get smaller. My niece is the only new growth on the family tree. She will be the only too. Due to mental illness I am not even considering children. Plus I am getting to the point, I wouldn't have a lot of time if I suddenly changed my mind. Due to her mother's age, she will be an only child. I know I am not her mother but in a way she is my child too. She is as close as I will come to a biological child. A little bit of my DNA is in her make up. I often have no idea how to behave around her. When she was a baby, I was terrified when she cried. But I would walk through fire for her. I would do anything to protect her. Her arrival in the world coincided when the rapid acceleration of me into bipolar. But she had no say in that. And thought of being her aunt and watching her grow up has kept me going in the difficult times. My big goal now is to eventually move to their hometown so I can see their little family more. I can video dance recitals and photograph birthday parties. I would like it.