THE DAILY ASTORIAN • TUESDAY, MARCH 13, 2018
FEATURES
Be happy for your mom
Dear Annie: Why can’t anger over the loss of a parent,
children of widowed parents taking it out on the new love
be happy when their surviving interest. It might help if you
parent finds a new compan- were to take care to respect
ion? As a recently divorced the memory of their fathers
senior citizen, I have re-en- and make clear that you’re not
tered the dating scene. I have trying to replace anyone.
dated a couple of
Lastly, I’m not
DEAR
widows whose chil-
saying this is the case
dren (in their 30s and
with you, but some-
ANNIE
times grown children
40s) have proved
pick up on signs that
to be a real chal-
lenge. These ladies
new partners don’t
have been widowed
have their parents’
for three to 10-plus
best interests at heart,
years, yet their chil-
and their protective-
ness is justified.
dren are a real obsta-
Lane
cle. Why can’t they be Annie
Dear Annie: My
Creators
Syndicate Inc.
happy that their mom
boyfriend has a friend
has found a new com-
named “Melissa,” and
panion instead of resisting it I’m wary of their relationship.
and, in one case, preventing I’ve seen Melissa put her arms
their mom from continuing around my boyfriend’s neck
the relationship? I think this is while his hands were on her
very selfish and even harmful hips. They’ve kissed repeat-
to their parent. What would edly on the lips in front of me.
I privately and calmly
you tell these adult children?
complained to my boyfriend
— We Deserve Happiness
Dear We Deserve Happi- about the kissing and how
ness: I would tell these adult disrespectful and hurtful it is
children to let love rule. It’s to me, and I asked him how
unfair for them to prevent their he would feel if I were kiss-
parents from being in loving ing another man like that. His
romantic relationships. Per- answers were: “It’s a Southern
haps they’re displacing their thing” and “Melissa’s mother
just died.” (Her mother died
a few months ago.) He then
accused me of being jealous.
I told him that at least
where I come from, we have
boundaries, have respect for
other people’s feelings and
treat others the way we would
like to be treated. Now when-
ever a grandmotherly friend
gives him a peck on the cheek,
he brings up the Melissa inci-
dents with me, trying to say
it’s the same thing. And every
single time, we have a dis-
agreement and I burst into
tears.
Is this a “Southern thing,”
and how should I handle it if
it happens again? — Southern
Exposure
Dear Southern Expo-
sure: Rounding first base
with friends is not a “Southern
thing,” and there isn’t enough
Southern charm in the world to
sell that whopper. This man’s
behavior and his disregard for
your concerns are both billow-
ing red flags. If he’s not will-
ing to hear out your (perfectly
reasonable) request that he not
kiss the lips or touch the hips
of other women, it’s time to
move on.
5A
TOMORROW’S HOROSCOPE
By Holiday Mathis, Creators Syndicate Inc.
ARIES (March 21-April 19). There will be a gap
between what people think you know and what
you actually know. Mind that gap. You can use
your insights strategically to awe your subjects
and maintain your advantage.
SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). It’s been a long
time since you had to ask permission to do the
things you really want to do. And yet, now that
you can do what you want, you so seldom do!
Change that dynamic today.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20). Complex thinking
is best taken on earlier in the day. (A particular-
ly good time will be two hours after you wake
up.) Do the hard tasks before the easy ones
and you’ll minimize the threat of procrastination.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). “It’s no
use going back to yesterday, because I was a
different person then,” said Alice in Wonderland,
and you ... well, something similar at least. The
option of going back in some way exists, but
you’ll probably think better of it.
GEMINI (May 21-June 21). In theater, the
lights, sound, scenery, props, even the scent
and temperature of the venue — it all makes a
difference to the success of the show. Setting
the stage for your life will be no different.
CANCER (June 22-July 22). Stories are the
way we pass on knowledge from one genera-
tion to the next. There are stories alive on the
earth now that started thousands of years ago.
Your story matters. Believe it. Work on it. Refine
it.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). Mirror neurons in the
human brain fire when imagining or watching
an action, and they also fire when performing
an action, allowing for both experience and
vicarious experience. Hint: some experiences
are best left to the movies.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). Snap judgments
may feel like instinct, intuition or even divine im-
pulse, but they are much more mysterious and
nuanced than any of those things. This is not a
day to blindly heed your gut reaction to things.
Buy time. Decide later.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). There will be
moments of stress that you’d do well to shake
off as quickly as you can. One way is to get
grounded, literally. Find a spot of earth, put both
hands on your head, and jump repeatedly.
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
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). Familiarity
brings comfort — until it doesn’t, that is. Bore-
dom can be very uncomfortable indeed! You’ll
stave it away with a friend who craves novelty
and adventure as much as you do today.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). You had ideas
about what was in store, and ... surprise! None
of them were quite accurate. Luckily, you’re
confident enough to let go of your preconceived
notions in favor of being present to the needs of
the moment.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). Anxiety — even
the brief, momentary variety — causes people
to forget to breathe. When people around
you are letting the wrong things get to them,
you’ll stay centered and calm with a few deep
breaths.
TOMORROW’S BIRTHDAY (March 14). You
have more fans than you know, and your base
will grow both in numbers and in affection this
solar return. Your relationships grow strong
because you serve people better, answer their
needs and questions and relate to the issues
you have in common. There’s a new kind of
work in July. August ends a kind of trial period.
Gemini and Virgo adore you. Your lucky num-
bers are: 7, 4, 44, 9 and 38.