Twenty-Seven years ago, a wonderful woman lost her battle with cancer. Doris Caisse Zalatan is my husband’s mother. I never had the privilege to meet her yet I have heard many stories and have enjoyed photos sent to us by his sister Michelle Roth.  On the day she passed away, another even half way around the world occurred, our wonderful daughters Rachel Zalatan Walker and Rebekah Zalatan Bartleson were born in a city near Seoul Korea. Tony and his wife Karen were notified that there twins were born and they arrived in the United States on November 19^th 1986. Tony’s sister Michelle has always said it took two souls to replace Doris.

Twelve years ago I was honored to join this family and assist in the rearing of these truly gifted and beautiful children. When I entered the picture the girls were very reticent and shell shocked after experiencing the very contentious divorce of their parents. When Tony and I married the twins were fourteen, yet they didn’t really act as I remembered we did at fourteen. They had never experienced a sleep-over, didn’t really know how to “play” and I joked that they were the fashion safety girls, as they would only wear navy, black white and khaki. I began to see what the Family Court Judge meant by the girls wilting under the sole care of their mother.

Soon we began bonding. We shopped together, decorated our new home, and vacationed as a family. Rebekah and Rachel began to bloom! They began taking risks, and growing into accomplished young ladies.  Eighteen months into our marriage, Tony was struck down with a debilitating stroke caused by a hospital acquired infection. We camped out in the hospital waiting room for two weeks, refusing to leave his side. Despite all the emotional turmoil we became closer as a family. During his lengthy hospital stay, I tended to supplement care and attention for the girls by overindulging them.

Over the years my love for them has never waned. Many hurt feelings, and serious accusations have been made, yet I still love these girls as if I had given birth to them.

We have been estranged for six years. I miss them every day. I want them to know that I love them and would like to bridge the gap between us and once again be a family. If they cannot find it in their heart to forgive me I request that they at least contact their father; when it all comes down to it, he is the one who has been punished the most.