THE DAILY ASTORIAN • WEDNESDAY, JULY 5, 2017
FEATURES
Sexual assault aftermath
Dear Annie: Shortly, I will shower any friends. I don’t have any friends any-
and prepare to spend the day with my more, either.
ex-boyfriend. “Pat” is 60, and I am 67.
My girls have told me not to see him
He started drinking when he was 14 or talk to him. They have made very clear
and has always been a drinker, but it that if I do, I won’t be part of this fam-
didn’t interfere too much with our lives ily. But I feel so bad for him. Is there a
until last spring, when he started drink- way to open dialogue with my daughters
ing heavily and stayed drunk for
so I can do this? I will not return
to him as his girlfriend. I will not
weeks.
DEAR
move back to that house or spend
It was about a month into
ANNIE
a night there. I am seeing a coun-
his bender when I invited my
selor, and so is he. Should I try,
grown daughter “Elizabeth”
or should I walk away for good?
to stay while her apartment
— “Margaret”
was being fumigated. That
Dear Margaret: If you’ve
night, Pat went downstairs to
written to me looking for the
the sofa and attempted to sexu-
answer your counselor won’t
ally assault her. She left scream-
Lane
give you, I’ll have to disappoint
ing. I was in shock. An hour later, Annie
Creators
Syndicate Inc.
you. You must run, not walk,
my other daughter, “Samantha,”
away from this man and into the
called and told me to leave and get
to her house, that I should not stay with arms of your loving daughters. It sounds
as if those two can offer the clearheaded
Pat.
By the time I got to Samantha’s house, perspective you so badly need right
the police were there to interview Eliza- now. Do not alienate them by spending
beth. She had called them. (I did not have more time with the man who attempted
any say in this, but I was OK with it.) to assault Elizabeth. What he did is
unforgivable.
They arrested Pat that night.
Your desire to rescue him, your belief
The next morning, Pat called to ask me
to bail him out. I said no. I started mov- that you’re responsible for his happiness
ing my stuff out, and I moved in with my — these are classic traits of people who
live with alcoholics. Please seriously con-
daughter.
Now comes the hard part. He wants me sider attending an Al-Anon meeting. You
to be his support while he recovers from can find one in your area by visiting http://
all his years of drinking. He does not have www.al-anon.org.
5A
TOMORROW’S HOROSCOPE
By Holiday Mathis, Creators Syndicate Inc.
ARIES (March 21-April 19). Holding on makes
a person strong, and so does letting go. It’s just
a different muscle group. There is no decision to
be made here, really, just grace to be claimed in
whichever situation applies best.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20). When the facts don’t
match up with what you thought they’d be, this
presents a challenge. Many people deal with this
simply by shoring up the facts until they match their
preconceptions. Watch out for that, and don’t take
part in it.
GEMINI (May 21-June 21). You’ve qualities that
come from your cellular lineage and other qualities
you picked up along the way. Then there’s a part of
you that can’t be claimed at the cellular or psycho-
logical level. You’ll act from that spiritual truth today.
CANCER (June 22-July 22). Actions have conse-
quences and yet can seem to be strangely incon-
sequential, too. Mostly it’s a time-lapse issue. What
feels like excruciating minutiae in real time will be
revealed to be meaningful work in retrospect.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). If you’re going to have a
dispute, be sure to define the terms of it — the
narrower the better. There’s little influence to be
gained by taking people on with broadly different
views, although you’ll sharpen your arguments in
the process.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). Time is supposed to
prevent everything from happening at once, and
yet it may fall down on the job today, at least in
your case. Your popularity surges — a hard thing to
keep up with.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). Much will be asked
of you: things you don’t want to do, things you
do want to do, things that fit both categories and
seem inextricably linked. Just remember, 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
usually more options than the ones first presented
to you.
SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). In the same way that
a shoe sets the tone for an outfit, there are some
foundational beliefs and attitudes that set the mood
of this whole day. Just because a terrible old shoe
fits doesn’t mean you should still wear it.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). While you make
something (a plan, a picture, a bed, the sale)
you’re having an experience. Whatever the out-
come may be, the experience will stand on its own
merit if the endeavor is a worthy one.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). What you once
thought of as work now seems more like a form
of prayer. That’s not to say it’s automatically easy.
Praying can have its own difficulties, especially if
you’re new at it.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). At times the work
laid before you seems absurd in a way that only
you are seeing. This is made plain when you laugh
and they don’t or when you tilt your head at what
they unquestionably accept.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). You’ll be making
room for the next generation to contribute, not
because your turn is over, but because you appre-
ciate the influence and realize the importance of
staying ever fresh at every stage and age.
TOMORROW’S BIRTHDAY (July 6). You’re so
loved, but that’s not even the best part. The best
part is that you appreciate and fully receive the gift
and pure energy of this. You’ll acquire new tools
and resources in August. You’ll be put in charge of
more people, and you’ll contribute positively to the
lives of others. Travel and winning sports teams
will be the fun of 2018. Leo and Pisces adore you.
Your lucky numbers are: 7, 3, 39, 14 and 25.