FEATURES
6A
THE DAILY ASTORIAN • TUESDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2015
Stepkids ruining relationship Tomorrow’s horoscope
By Holiday Mathis, Creators Syndicate Inc.
Dear Annie: My boyfriend and I
have been dating for 18 months and
would like to move in together and
eventually marry. It would be a sec-
ond marriage for both of us. He has
been divorced for four years and has
three children who are just into their
teens. I have no children, but have
been actively involved in the lives of
my many nieces and nephews, and
the children of my friends.
His kids are the problem. I’m
ready to give up the best relation-
ship of my life because of them.
They curse me, blatantly disrespect
me, and are generally unpleasant to
be around. They are physically and
verbally violent toward each other,
their peers and other family mem-
bers. They lie and are disrespectful of
adults and authority. They gossip and
spread rumors.
I’ve told my boyfriend about their
bad behavior, but they are well-man-
nered and courteous in his presence,
so he claims not to see it. I’ve at-
tempted a heart-to-heart with them,
only to be mocked, have my words
twisted and lies told about me. I am
currently taking anti-anxiety medica-
tion over this situation.
How can I convince my boyfriend
how his children really act? Should I
bother? I was raised in a loving re-
spectful home and feel totally out of
but I want to respond to “Forever
Trapped,” who feels she was born the
wrong gender, but worries about sur-
gical solutions.
Creators
My son (he was born female, but is
Syndicate Inc.
living his life as a male) was also con-
fused. When younger, he exhibited so
Kathy Mitchell
much male behavior that I thought he
and
was a lesbian, but that wasn’t it. He re-
Marcy Sugar
alized he was transgendered and tran-
sitioned from female to male many
my element. — Heartbroken in Cal- years ago. He had surgery, and you
ifornia
now cannot tell he was ever female.
Dear Heartbroken: Becoming
My son is happily married, liv-
D VWHSSDUHQW FDQ EH GLI¿FXOW DQG LW ing as a gay man in the Boston area.
doesn’t help that your boyfriend clos- There is nothing wrong with “Forever
es his eyes to the problem. If his chil- Trapped.” Her gender identity didn’t
dren are violent toward each other PDWFKKHUERG\,KRSHVKHFDQ¿QG
and other family members, he is un- a therapist who works with the trans-
doubtedly aware of it, but unwilling gendered community. Surgery is ex-
to deal with it.
pensive and not covered by insurance.
Teenagers can be notoriously re- Please don’t give up. Be the person
bellious, even under the best of cir- you were meant to be. — Proud Par-
cumstances. And their mother could ent of a Transgendered Son
EH LQÀXHQFLQJ WKHP QHJDWLYHO\ DV
Dear Parent: We wish all parents
well. You need to be extremely kind would be as accepting and supportive
and patient, but the cursing, lying and as you. Thank you for writing.
disrespect must end. And that will
Dear Readers: Sunday, Dec. 13,
happen only if your boyfriend insists is The Compassionate Friends’ World-
on it. Please ask him about family wide Candle Lighting in memory of
counseling before the relationship all the children who have died. Please
disintegrates. Also, look into the Na- light a candle in the evening at 7 p.m.,
tional Stepfamily Resource Center local time, and remember them with
(stepfamilies.info).
love. For more information, log on to
Dear Annie: It’s taken a while, compassionatefriends.org.
Annie’s
Mailbox
ARIES (March 21-April 19). The ancient
Greek tragedian Euripides said, “Slight not
what’s near by aiming for what’s far.” To-
day offers a stellar opportunity to get your
needs met and it’s right under your nose.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20). First you
have to believe you can do it. Half-hearted
efforts are pointless. Either get into it more
fully with a commitment or cut it free and
open yourself up to other possibilities.
GEMINI (May 21-June 21). Strip away
what you’ve been taught and you’ll find
that you’ve something unique to express.
The reason you haven’t expressed it yet
is that it’s so much a part of you that you
don’t even realize how original it really is.
CANCER (June 22-July 22). Last night
hit the cosmic “refresh” button while you
were sleeping. It’s like you woke up with a
new brain this morning. Don’t waste your
new thoughts on your old worries.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). Wanting to
please the crowd could have an adverse
affect on your creativity. What kind of pre-
sentation would you put on if your audi-
ence was only one person, and that one
person was you?
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). Some are
adventurers by choice; others are adven-
turers out of necessity. You’ve been both
kinds, which is what allows you to be fear-
less in today’s scenario.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). You’re not
worried about the same things you used
to worry about when you were small, but
somehow you still feel as vulnerable as
you did back then. Luckily, today brings
support, friendship and love.
SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). There’s not
FRANK AND ERNEST
BLONDIE
THATABABY
SALLY FORTH
PHOEBE AND HER UNICORN
B.C.
LOLA
DILBERT
SIX CHIX
BIZARRO
MUTTS
NON SEQUITUR
BABY BLUES
WIZARD OF ID
ZITS
ROSE IS ROSE
one philosophy you dogmatically believe.
You are a student of many trains of thought
and you’ll enjoy exploring new ones today.
They don’t have to be reasonable or feasi-
ble to be interesting to you.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). There
is no magic fix. The answer isn’t glamor-
ous. There is no success secret — it’s
rather obvious what’s needed. Hard work
consistently in the same direction will get
the job done.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). It’s not
so easy to see where you fit in, but it’s clear
to see where you don’t, so start with that.
When you feel it’s a bad fit, move on quick-
ly. There’s no time to waste.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). Strong
teams are diverse teams. You don’t have to
like or understand everyone — it’s better if
you don’t. A team of you-clones can’t ac-
complish anything beyond what you could
accomplish alone.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). Not con-
tent to keep the regular pace, you’re ready
to take a risk. Why creep along when you
can fly? What would it take to launch you?
You’ll get there faster and you’ll have a bet-
ter view too.
WEDNESDAY’S BIRTHDAY (Dec. 9).
You’ll do your best work this month and
you’ll be recognized in at least three dif-
ferent meaningful ways. Apply the bonus
you receive in February to club dues or tu-
ition. Your social horizons open up in April.
There will be a new force for good in your
family circle. Group vacations are featured
in June. Aquarius and Taurus adore you.
Your lucky numbers are: 3, 45, 21, 22 and
19.