A6 THE DAILY ASTORIAN • WEDNESDAY, MARcH 13, 2019 Bugged by income disparity Dear Annie: My husband even worked both full-time and and I have been married for 48 part-time jobs at the same time years. We have endured really to be able to take a vacation expensive medical issues over once a year. the past several years, and our She has traveled around the funds are stretched to the limit. world, has her home paid off We are both retired and stays in a warm cli- DEAR but still work about 20 mate during the cold ANNIE hours a week. We used months of the year. my retirement money She is almost 80 years to pay the many med- old, has been blessed ical bills and have with good health all her sold our new home to life, is single and has get into a less expen- no children. She states sive home. I know that that she has put money many have endured ANNIE LANE in a trust for her brother Creators the same, and we are but can’t believe he is Syndicate Inc. blessed to both be alive still alive after all his and well. illnesses. My question is about a fam- Annie, she knows the finan- ily member who is very rich and cial state we are in. We have brags about her wealth to us all had to borrow money from our the time. She is a sister who has daughter to not go bankrupt. We made over and above what my are blessed to have her, too. Her husband and I have ever made. aunt has never made an attempt I am happy for her. However, to be caring as an aunt should even though she is well aware be. She is the remaining rela- of our financial status, she will tive in my husband’s family. I have made crafts for her, allow us to pay for her dinners when she’s in town and never sent items to her and always invited her to our home, and she helps or offers us a dime. My husband and I have accepts but is not very friendly always been responsible with to me. She only likes my hus- our finances and responsibil- band because he is her brother. ities and have never asked for I don’t think she has ever anything from her. We have liked me. I didn’t come from TOMORROW’S HOROSCOPE By Holiday Mathis, Creators Syndicate Inc. money, and I went to public school; she was a cheerleader at a private school. Guess I’m not in her class of people. Could you help me to under- stand why and tell me what I could do about her attitude? — Lost Without a clue but Still Praying Dear Lost: Don’t specu- late about what she thinks of your station in life. You can’t know, and it doesn’t matter anyway. Anyone who would judge another person’s class has none. As for the lopsided nature of your relationship, don’t hurt yourself bending over backward for someone who wouldn’t lift a finger for you. You’re not obligated to make your sister-in-law crafts. You’re not obligated to pay for her meals. You’re not even obli- gated to be her friend. This isn’t about retaliation or spite. Quite the opposite. It’s about making peace with who she is, respect- ing your differences and giving yourself enough space to love her. Once you’ve stopped try- ing so hard, much of the resent- ment you feel toward her will melt away, even if her behavior hasn’t changed at all. ARIES (March 21-April 19). There’s always some degree of work that goes into presenting oneself in society. You can make that work easier for yourself in the days to come by taking the time to envision what you need and planning ahead. TAURUS (April 20-May 20). Stay passive and people will believe what they want to believe or what’s convenient for them to believe. The other way is to actively present your belief in a very attractive light, and then stand back and see if there are any takers. GEMINI (May 21-June 21). The light at the end of the tunnel — it’s the same as the light everywhere, but it has different significance to the tunnel people. The people in the tunnel are possibly the only ones who fully appreciate what it means. is going to be good. SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). “Te absolvo” is the universal message to you, if you want to take it. There are reasons some won’t. They like rumi- nating. They need to feel bad, or maybe it’s just a habit. But if you’re ready to let go and move on, you really can. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). Even though it’s wonderful to be liked, appreciated and referred, it’s not as empowering as going out and seeking your own opportunities based on where you’d like to go and who you’d like to know. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). Your renewed sense of purpose will be like a hovering halo — not one that indicates your angelic status so much as one that distinguishes you as possibly being able to, in one way or another, fly. CANCER (June 22-July 22). You’ll return to a tenant of your upbringing that you’d long since abandoned as impractical, inconvenient and untrue. Why now? You’ll suddenly see a different sort of sense in it. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). Reminder: You’re much more than your role, your body, or anything you own. You’re more than any story you star in or result you produce. Honor that timeless, eternal part of you. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). Fixing the small thing might just teach you that bigger things are the problem. The framework itself may be flawed. It could be the institution that’s broken. Even so, don’t get discouraged. Tend to what you can. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). To you, attracting unwanted attention is much worse than passing for invisible. Anyway, low-key is your ticket today. There’s something you want to observe and you won’t be able to if you’re too conspicuous. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). Things that enhance your perspective include annual appointments and seeing someone you haven’t seen in a long while. Stretches of time inform us in ways that day-to-day familiarity cannot. TOMORROW’S BIRTHDAY (March 14). The skills you pick up will result in big fun — and lucrative opportunity. But ultimately, it’s not about what you’re capable of doing. It’s about what you gath- er along the way, which is to say discipline, friends, experience, aesthetic taste and an appetite for excitement. You’ll ink a deal in June and make a discovery in September. Aries and Taurus adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 4, 40, 15, 20 and 36. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). It’s like you’re in a movie and all the other characters, the action and the plot twists are there to help you grow your way into your victory sequence. Just trust that this 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