6A
FEATURES
Pressured to have another
Dear Annie: My son just put on my relationship with my
turned 6 months old, and he is my husband. I’m barely holding on
entire world. I love him to pieces, as is, and I want to take the time
and I love being a mom more than to enjoy being with my son. How
I thought was possible. I also work do I get my mother-in-law to back
full time as a science teacher and off without offending her? I don’t
softball coach at the local middle want to have another fight. But
I’m not ready for another
school. When I get home,
DEAR
kid, either. — Tired in
I am beyond tired.
Tulsa
My husband and I
ANNIE
Dear Tired: Your
live very close to where
mother-in-law’s pointed
we grew up — we are
questions are best met
from the same town but
with a soft — but clear
didn’t meet till after col-
— response. You might
lege — and our families
say something like, “I
are close by. This is super
am overjoyed by how
helpful when it comes to
Lane
excited you are to be a
last-minute baby-sitting Annie
Creators
Syndicate Inc.
grandma. Thank you so
needs,
hand-me-down
much for the help you’ve
toys and just being around
supportive people. But being this given your son and me. We defi-
close to our families is creating an nitely want siblings, but I’m not
nearly ready to think about that
issue.
Lately, my mother-in-law yet. When I am ready, I promise
won’t stop asking me when I’m you’ll be the first to know.”
If she continues scanning the
going to get pregnant again.
When I say that we’re in no rush, sky for storks and giving you the
she asks pointed questions. For third degree, enlist your husband
example, “Don’t you love being for support. He can get away with
a mom?” “Don’t you want your being more blunt. After all, he is
son to grow up with siblings?” her baby boy.
Dear Annie: You advised
Of course I do! And I do want
more children, but, Annie, I’m so someone (“Sudden Loss for
drained all the time. And I didn’t Words in TN”) how to discuss
know the strain that a baby would a recent death, a suicide, with
someone who misses the dece-
dent greatly. I can tell you what I
did and how it turned out.
In the early 1960s, the mother
of a chum died suddenly of a con-
dition that was very seldom fatal.
Her widower, son and daughters
were shattered, but they coped,
being all strong people. I was
about 20 years old and knew the
woman only tangentially, but I
wrote a letter of condolence. I
stressed that I remembered my
chum’s mother and would for the
rest of my life. Last month, I had
a rare visit from my friend, who
is now a hale septuagenarian like
me. He remembered my letter and
my vow to remember his mother
and said that he had felt com-
forted by the simple fact that I
remembered her.
Of course, I have many fam-
ily members to remember now, as
well as more than a few chums,
but I, too, am strong, and I cope.
I think you might advise your
correspondent in Tennessee to
report that she remembers the
absent friend and will do so stead-
fastly. That declaration might
encourage the grieving family
members who hear it. Dead peo-
ple who are remembered are still
with us, in a way.
THE DAILY ASTORIAN • MONDAY, JANUARY 2, 2017
TOMORROW’S HOROSCOPE
By Holiday Mathis, Creators Syndicate Inc.
ARIES (March 21-April 19). Feel scattered?
Think of it as a prolonged state of brain-
storming. You’re searching for one small
new thing to add to your life to brighten your
mood and enhance the impression you
make on the world.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20). Some of the
good questions have answers. But most of
them just hang their, ripe, overhead and will
continue to do so for many lifetimes, scent-
ing the air with their sweetness, drawing our
imaginations up and up and up.
GEMINI (May 21-June 21). Give yourself a
wide margin for error. You won’t need it, but
this will keep you at the low stress level that
allows for maximum poise and charisma to
spare. You’ll like whom this attracts.
CANCER (June 22-July 22). Laughter
usually bonds people, but be aware that it
can also alienate people. Not everyone has
your stellar sense of humor, especially when
it comes to kidding that’s a little too close for
home. Sensitivity required.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). From Hitchcock to
Shakespeare, the best storytellers know to
leave the most intense scenes off the stage
and let the audience fill in the blanks with
imagination. You’ll benefit from doing the
same. Say nothing. Let them fill in the blanks.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). The social tech-
nology that is supposed to facilitate human
connection often has the opposite effect,
drawing us into a social fantasy while we
ignore those who actually exist at an arm’s
length. Don’t let it happen to you and yours.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). Greatness and
inner strength go hand in hand. You develop
it the same way you do physical strength —
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
by doing hard things over and over. It’s why
you choose to stick to this job until it’s done.
SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). The animals
have an effect on you, and you’ll be more
keenly aware of this. Whether you care for
an animal or just admire the natural world,
you’ll be enriched by other lifeforms today.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). Being in
control of a small part of your environment
will make you feel in control of your whole
world. To extend the idea, what you do for
your body, you’ll do for your life.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). When it
comes to “getting over it,” there’s no time
limit. Take as long as you need. Just know
that until you’re “over it,” it will be hard to get
“on with it,” so it’s in your own best interest
not to wallow.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). The concept
of one person not being good enough for
another person is truly false. There are better
matches and worse matches, but no one is
inherently better than anyone else. PISCES
(Feb. 19-March 20). Life doesn’t usually of-
fer closure in any kind of neat form. Endings
often aren’t. And even when they are, they
can be so long and drawn out, you might as
well say “so long” instead of “goodbye.”
TOMORROW’S BIRTHDAY (Jan. 3).
There will be a role reversal at the top of
your solar return that will help you finally
claim a property, obtain a title or change a
habit. The early-year action will center on
a youthful presence in your life. Windfalls
come in March and July. Too many opinions
come at you in August; stand strong in just
one: yours. Libra and Pisces adore you. Your
lucky numbers are: 6, 20, 5, 33 and 19.