Dear Abby: I’m about a month away from officially adopting my 7-year-old great-niece. I adopted her half-brother 10 years ago. Her mother passed away last year. Her father is in prison and will remain there until she is past 18.
I’d like to change her middle name, but I’m worried she’ll resent me for it down the road. Her first name wouldn’t change, and her last name is already the same as mine. Her middle name isn’t a very sophisticated one. She keeps changing her mind about wanting to change it. What should I do? I want to set her up for success later in life.
— Great-Aunt in Colorado…