B6
East Oregonian
PEANUTS
COFFEE BREAK
Thursday, December 26, 2019
DEAR ABBY
BY CHARLES M . SCHULZ
Response to gender identity
clouds family get-togethers
FOR BETTER OR WORSE
BY LYNN JOHNSTON
B.C.
BY JOHNNY HART
PICKLES
BY BRIAN CRANE
BEETLE BAILEY
BY MORT WALKER
Dear Abby: We are expecting
hand and arm, a loss of balance and
our first child after many years of
he cannot walk unassisted. He must
have help in all areas of daily living.
struggling with infertility. We are
I placed him in a rehab center, then
overjoyed, to say the least.
into a nursing home.
I have a wonderful parent who
The problem is, I feel so guilty
used to be my father but who now
about leaving him there. He isn’t
identifies as a woman I’ll call
happy and he blames me for keeping
“Grace.” She’s a supportive, loving,
J eanne
him there. I visit as often as possible,
wonderful parent, and always was.
P hilliPs
but it isn’t often enough for him I am
The problem is, the rest of the
ADVICE
sure. I am so disappointed. This is
family has yet to see her transition.
not the life that I had planned. Would
They are aware of what has hap-
you please tell me how to stop blam-
pened, but are not comfortable with
ing myself, and how to accept this situation?
it. One family member keeps insisting that
— Sorry in the South
Grace is not transgender, just “confused.”
Dear Sorry: My heart goes out to you
She says that if she ever saw Grace dressed
and your husband. Not everyone is so fortu-
as a woman, she would laugh.
nate as to live the life they have planned. If
When it comes to a celebration for
you haven’t already done so, it may be time
our bundle of joy, how do I handle this? I
to reach out to your Area Agency on Aging
can’t imagine having the celebration with-
and talk to someone there about what emo-
out Grace, and I wouldn’t dream of asking
tional support services may be available near
her to dress as a male because I know how
you. The Eldercare Locator, which is spon-
uncomfortable she would be. But I’m afraid
sored by the U.S. Administration on Aging,
if she attends, none of the other family will
is another resource.
come because they are so uncomfortable. —
Counseling can help you learn to accept
Transparent in Nevada
this “new normal” and lessen your feelings
Dear Transparent: Grace is not “con-
fused.” People do not change their gender
of guilt for making a decision that, while not
identity on a lark. The transition is time-con-
pleasant, is what your husband now requires
suming and difficult. Grace deserves to be
so his needs are met. It will, however, be your
treated with compassion and common cour-
responsibility to stay close and ensure that
happens.
tesy. Make this clear to your family mem-
bers. If you feel that one or more of them
Dear Abby: There is conflict between
two of my four adult children. They no longer
would be so rude as to ridicule your parent,
speak to one another over some silly, childish
strike them from your guest list.
issues. Should I, as the parent, interfere and
Dear Abby: My husband has not been in
try to resolve these issues? — Peacemaker
good health for years. He had an accident in
in Philadelphia
2007 in which his left arm was broken. The
Dear Peacemaker: Resist the urge to
doctor did many surgeries over seven years,
“interfere.” Your desire to patch things up is
but he had to have it amputated in 2014.
understandable, but because your children
Ten months ago, he suffered a debilitat-
ing stroke in the left lobe of his brain. He
are adults, it should be up to them to resolve
their differences without your intervention.
now has aphasia, the inability to use his right
DAYS GONE BY
GARFIELD
BLONDIE
BY JIM DAVIS
BY DEAN YOUNG AND STAN DRAKE
100 Years Ago
From the East Oregonian
Dec. 26, 1919
The biggest fire in town on Christmas
Day was at the fire headquarters, where
members of the paid and volunteer fire fight-
ing forces made heavy inroads on a big box
of cigars sent by the Pendleton Commercial
Association. The box was sent in appreci-
ation of the services of the local fire fight-
ers during the past year and was accompa-
nied by a gracious note of praise, addressed
to Chief William E. Ringold.
50 Years Ago
From the East Oregonian
Dec. 26, 1969
Mr. and Mrs. Don Brandt feel they got the
best present ever on Christmas Day — the
lives of their three sons. The boys, age 13,
16 and 18, and their 10-year-old cousin were
injured by electric shock when an irrigation
pipe they were holding touched a high volt-
age line. The eldest brother, Donnie, an all-
star football player at Stanfield High School,
recovered first and ran to get help. “I thought
we had lost them all,” his father said. “They
were bleeding and there was a burned smell
in the air.” The boys are in good condition
today in Good Shepherd Hospital in Herm-
iston. All are suffering from burns.
25 Years Ago
From the East Oregonian
Dec. 26, 1994
It wasn’t a good Christmas for Hubert
Lairson. First, the 40-year-old Milton-Free-
water man was reportedly kidnapped and
taken to a remote area where he was beaten
up and robbed. Then when Lairson reported
the attack to police, they discovered war-
rants for his arrest for failing to appear in
court on theft and drunken driving charges,
and he was arrested and taken to the Uma-
tilla County Jail. Police are still investigat-
ing the attack.
TODAY IN HISTORY
DILBERT
THE WIZARD OF ID
LUANN
ZITS
BY SCOTT ADAMS
BY BRANT PARKER AND JOHNNY HART
BY GREG EVANS
BY JERRY SCOTT AND JIM BORGMAN
On Dec. 26, 1996,
6-year-old beauty queen
JonBenet Ramsey was
found beaten and strangled
in the basement of her fam-
ily’s home in Boulder, Col-
orado. (To date, the slaying
remains unsolved.)
In 1799, former President
George Washington was
eulogized by Col. Henry
Lee as “first in war, first in
peace and first in the hearts
of his countrymen.”
In 1917, during World
War I, President Woodrow
Wilson issued a proclama-
tion authorizing the govern-
ment to take over operation
of the nation’s railroads.
In 1944, during the
World War II Battle of the
Bulge, the embattled U.S.
101st Airborne Division in
Bastogne, Belgium, was
relieved by units of the 4th
Armored Division. Tennes-
see Williams’ play “The
Glass Menagerie” was first
performed at the Civic The-
atre in Chicago.
In 1947, heavy snow
blanketed the Northeast,
burying New York City
under 26.4 inches of snow in
16 hours; the severe weather
was blamed for some 80
deaths.
In 1980, Iranian televi-
sion footage was broadcast
in the United States, show-
ing a dozen of the American
hostages sending messages
to their families.
In 1994, French com-
mandos stormed a hijacked
Air France jetliner on the
ground in Marseille, killing
four Algerian hijackers and
freeing 170 hostages.
In 2003, an earthquake
struck the historic Iranian
city of Bam, killing at least
26,000 people.
In 2004, more than
230,000 people, mostly in
southern Asia, were killed
by a 100-foot-high tsunami
triggered by a 9.1-magni-
tude earthquake beneath the
Indian Ocean.
In 2006, former Presi-
dent Gerald R. Ford died in
Rancho Mirage, California,
at age 93.
Today’s
Birthdays:
Record producer (and con-
victed murderer) Phil Spec-
tor is 80. Funk musician
George Porter Jr. (The
Meters) is 72. Humorist
David Sedaris is 63. Actress
Nadia Dajani is 54. Rock
musician J is 52. Coun-
try singer Audrey Wig-
gins is 52. Rock musician
Peter Klett (Candlebox) is
51. Actor-singer Jared Leto
is 48. Actress Beth Behrs is
34. Actress Eden Sher is 28.
Thought for Today: “Lit-
tle progress can be made by
merely attempting to repress
what is evil. Our great hope
lies in developing what is
good.” — President Calvin
Coolidge (1872-1933).
PHOEBE AND HER UNICORN
BY DANA SIMPSON
BIG NATE
BY LINCOLN PEIRCE