As I look into the eyes of me at nine years of age I see sadness,

I tell the little girl that her new step-mom is nice.

She asks me, "What about Kate?"

I warn her that the innocent looking baby will end up replacing her in her father's life.

So, be prepared for the heartbreak.

I tell her it will not be the end of the world.

That mom is good enough to be two parents,

and that Colin will step-up to be a father-figure,

despite only being two years older.

I tell her not to listen to dad when he says that the most important thing is to make money.

I tell her to follow her dreams and find her passions.

As I walk away from her I hope she doesn't fall into the same traps I did,

I hope she is happy,

I hope she does things for fun.

I hope she turns out better than I did.