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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 12, 2018)
THE DAILY ASTORIAN • MONDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2018 FEATURES TOMORROW’S HOROSCOPE Is it OK to break the gift limit? Dear Annie: With the upcom- old son was walking home from ing gift season, I have a question school, when he was hit by a car regarding dollar limits set by clubs. driven by a 91-year-old man. It was Say an amount is set at $10. a tragic accident, and my son died Does that mean the gift value or three days later. His father and I the dollar amount spent on the gift? decided to donate his organs to see Recently, I had a coupon for can- something positive come out of this dles that were “buy one, get tragedy. My son was gen- DEAR erous and loved to give, so one free.” This allowed me we wanted the end of his to purchase the $24 candles ANNIE life to have meaning and for $9.50. My friend said have his giving spirit live I should not give them at on by donating his organs. a $10-limit party because Several months after I would make other gifts my son’s death, I received look cheap. This has come cards and letters from up several times before. some of the recipients. What should I do? The club Lane The woman who received parties are starting soon! — Annie Creators Syndicate Inc. Anxious in Florida my son’s heart thanked us Dear Anxious: Would and let us know that she your friend like to bring in apprais- was now going to church and that ers on the day of the exchange to she would now be able to see her inspect every gift and ensure com- own son get married. At that point pliance? The fact is that it’s silly to in time, I wanted to just crawl into try to stringently regulate the value my son’s grave and die. I have of gifts in an exchange. As long as never answered that woman, and I you’re respecting the spending limit do not plan to. She must have for- (and not looking for loopholes, e.g., gotten that someone had died for giving away an expensive posses- her to live on. It was also a painful sion that technically cost you noth- reminder that I would never see my ing), you’re fine. Happy gifting. own son get married. Dear Annie: This is in response I am appalled that “A Very to the letter from “A Very Grateful Grateful Mom” was more or less Mom” and your answer to her. complaining that the donor family Ten years ago, my 15-year- had not contacted her. She should remember that in order for her own daughter not to have had to walk through death’s door, someone else’s child did. There is no getting over the loss of a child. Time does not heal all wounds. Show some compassion and stop making demands on fam- ilies. In other countries, contact between donor and recipient fami- lies is not permitted within the first year. Sadly, that is not the case in the United States. Please remind your readers to remember that organs come from people young and old, fellow human beings who were loved and belonged to fami- lies that will not celebrate another chance at life but will have to come to terms with death, grief and lives forever changed. — Grieving Mom Dear Grieving Mom: I am so incredibly sorry for the loss of your son. It sounds as though he had a beautiful spirit. Your letter brought me to tears. I do want to note that “A Very Grateful Mom” was not complain- ing that no one in the organ donor’s family had reached out; she just said that she hopes one day some- one will so that she can properly thank the family. Your letter helps illuminate why that may not hap- pen. Thank you for the insight. 5A By Holiday Mathis, Creators Syndicate Inc. ARIES (March 21-April 19). If you have the privi- lege of knowing someone very young, the under 8 set will be especially wise and wonderful teachers today. (Though their methods are unorthodox to say the least.) TAURUS (April 20-May 20). Spend more time with people who live the way you want to live. This isn’t always possible in your immediate environ- ment, but you can make it happen in your mind through reading and study. GEMINI (May 21-June 21). Friction is the enemy of connection. Movement doesn’t help either. To glue two pieces together, you have to hold them still in one place long enough for the bond to set. People are like this, too. They bond in the still, silent pauses. CANCER (June 22-July 22). For one as sensitive as you, it’s hard to imagine how some people have zero empathy. Whether you want to or not, you vividly sense the feelings of others. In fact, today you won’t know where theirs end and yours begin. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). Your message is genuine. You may decide to use different words to be better understood. The wise use their education of lan- guage to communicate well, while the foolish use their literary education to alienate and impress. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). Read the room. If this isn’t a good audience for you, find a different one. It’s harder to feel good about what you have to offer when you’re around people who don’t know enough to give it the value it deserves. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). The main difference between the gambling that’s called business, and the business that’s called gambling is the odds. Today, all the business you do will come with some degree of risk, but not all of it will qualify as a gamble. 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 SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). There are questions you thought you answered years ago that have somehow re-seeded themselves and sprouted into a hardier variety. You can’t come to terms with this in a day, but start digging and eventually you’ll root it out. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). Whether your opinion happens to be in line with the majority or the minority doesn’t really matter. What matters is that it feels right to you and that you’re not too worried about who else agrees. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). No one can tell a wildflower where to grow. It can pop right through pavement if it wants. Something in you is similarly unstoppable. It may not be the season yet, but it’s curled up, gathering strength, waiting for the right time. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). You’ve seen too much of life to have a strictly sunny outlook. You know the shadow is there, and you’re not afraid to peer into the dark. But you don’t let the darkness seduce you either. You’ll train your mind to move toward the light. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). This thing pitting you against you has to last a lifetime. As with any long-term relationship, sometimes it will be a real slog. Drop the adversarial stance and commit to being a better more forgiving and supportive friend to yourself. TOMORROW’S BIRTHDAY (Nov. 13). This big project to which you’ve devoted yourself will never be finished; it has a life of its own now. But it will pay out big dividends time and again this year, and this allows you to help your loved ones and create a lot of fun, too. Also of note: a certificate you earn, romance in hot summer nights and a family addition. Capricorn and Gemini adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 34, 7, 18, 3 and 45.
