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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 5, 2016)
FEATURES 6A Aunt worries for her niece Dear Annie: My heart hurts so much. Last January, my nephew was diagnosed with leukemia. He is 3 years old. He is only a little boy. He is so strong, and he tries to be a happy little guy. My sister is always talking about my nephew and how his appointments go, and that is fine; I want to hear about them and to know what the next steps are. But here is my problem. I also have a beautiful niece. She is 9 years old. I know my sister loves her very much, but it seems as if she gets put on the back burner when it comes to her brother. My question is: How can I bring this up to my sister without start- ing a fight? — Auntie of Two Dear Auntie: I’m so sorry about your little nephew. It’s understandable that your sister is fully focused on get- ting him well and hasn’t considered how it may be affecting her daughter. When it comes to matters of life and death, people are prone to getting tun- nel vision. Rather than confront your sister about this issue right now — which might add guilt to the emotional burden she’s already carrying — take actions on your own to see that your niece feels loved. A family isn’t just nuclear, after all. If your sister sees you show- ering her daughter with love, she will appreciate it, and it may gently nudge her to consider whether she is spending Dear Annie By Annie Lane Creators Syndicate Inc. enough time with her, too. Either way, your niece will be grateful for the bond- ing time with her awesome aunt. Dear Annie: My friend and I were talking about people who threaten suicide if their partner leaves them. I thought this was just an immature and overly dramatic response to a breakup and not something the person making the threat had any intention of going through with. However, my friend revealed to me that this actually hap- pened to a friend of hers. Her friend was seeing an older man who had another girlfriend at the time. This girl- friend threatened to kill herself if he left her. And then she did. So I guess my question is: What should you do when your partner threatens suicide if you leave? — Steph in San Diego Dear Steph: When a partner or anyone threatens suicide, you must take it seriously. Call the National Sui- cide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273- 8255. The people there will help you assess the situation and determine what actions you can take and the resources available in your state. I hope that man knows that what happened to his girlfriend was not his fault. If someone is threatening suicide if a partner leaves, there are underlying mental health problems that need pro- fessional treatment. Dear Annie: This is in response to “Revs My Engine,” who wrote to you regarding the neighbor who takes all the parking in an area that could accommodate two cars. If there is actually enough space for two cars, your correspondent has the option of contacting his city’s respon- sible department (could be planning or traffic or under some other name) and request painted striping to delineate the parking spots. Problem solved, and nobody’s the “bad guy.” The governing agency has a responsibility to maximize the use of community resources, and street park- ing fits in that category. However, there are recognized stan- dards for the size of an on-street park- ing space, and what looks like enough space for two cars may not officially be. Be careful what you wish for. — Ex-Mayor of a Very Small Town THE DAILY ASTORIAN • FRIDAY, AUGUST 5, 2016 Tomorrow’s horoscope By Holiday Mathis, Creators Syndicate Inc. ARIES (March 21-April 19). You’ve been known to get into funny moods and take impulsive actions that are not exactly in your best interest. The one who inspires you in another direction is an excellent friend indeed. TAURUS (April 20-May 20). You may find that you’ve a bleeding heart for someone, especially if you’ve experienced similar cir- cumstances. That’s why you could use the cool, objective opinion of a third party. GEMINI (May 21-June 21). Temptation will pass in an hour whether you give into it or not. So don’t give into it. Hang on tight. Have you made a vision board of your goal yet? That will help. CANCER (June 22-July 22). You’ve considerable social intelligence. Your inter- personal skills will impress the big players and the smoothest of the smooth. Even the classically difficult types will be putty in your hands. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). So-called big breaks often come in the form of one deci- sion about setting your priorities. Structure your life in a manner that will feed your soul, not just feed your mouth. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). Instead of striving for perfection, you’ll practice until you can do an ordinary thing extraordinari- ly well and reach a mighty satisfying level of mastery. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). In your effort to better yourself you can either build on your fantastic attributes or strengthen your weaknesses. The first way will be more fun and you’ll also be more confident doing it, which will attract love. SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). There are 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 real consequences for not moving quickly enough, which you’ll only be able to do if you’re thinking and planning ahead. Make choices now or life will choose for you later. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). Life has swayed too far into the realms of what’s dutiful and dull. Afford yourself some license in the other direction. If you can’t do it joyfully, consider not doing it at all. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). It’s hard enough to be impartial about things you don’t care about, but when it comes to peo- ple you love, forget it. You’re 100 percent biased, with a mouth full of praise. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). You’re noticing what motivates other people and using it as leverage to get them to behave as you prefer. Now, if you can do that for yourself, you’ll rule your world. Use what you see in others as a clue to your own psyche. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). You’re wise. That’s why you realize that often times when you get mad at others it’s because you see something in them that you’d like to change in yourself. This knowledge will help you immensely this weekend. SATURDAY’S BIRTHDAY (Aug. 6). The adoring eyes of someone who loves you deeply will be like a guiding light to you this year. You’ll also find great sparkle in an interest that your love doesn’t share. These two points of reference will be like ends to a rainbow you’ll ride the rest of this year. Your vigilance at work will be lauded in October. Pisces and Sagittarius adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 7, 12, 13, 45 and 26.