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.