Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/766011
DILBERT ScottAdams PEARLSBEFORESWINE StephanPastis PICKLES BrianCrane BABYBLUES JerryScott&RickKirkman THEDUPLEX GlennMcCoy ZITS JerryScott&JimBorgman SHERMAN'SLAGOON JimToomey ARGYLESWEATER ScottHilburn BIZARRO DanPiraro DEARAMY»Adear friend's wife was recently diagnosed with cancer. In the middle of the mess of it all — the sur- gery, chemo and all the health-related unknowns — m y f r i e n d t ol d me ( a n d his cancer-battling wife) that he was "having feel- ings" for me. I felt it was incred- ibly selfish of him to add this to his wife's burdens; he indicated he felt he was doing the right thing by coming clean. I am also married and have absolutely no inter- est in anything beyond friendship with him and am still angry about it. I immediately asked for some distance. His wife then contacted me to ask if I have it in my heart to reconcile with him, as he is distraught about ruining the friend- ship. My husband is also quite understanding of my friend's situation. Meanwhile, I feel uncomfortable about the whole thing and am having trouble figuring out where to go from here with the friend. It seems impossible to go back to the friendship we had before, which was quite special to me, and I don't know where that leaves us. Plus, obviously and critically, the cancer! Any advice? Where to go from here? —Dismayed DEAR DISMAYED » Three things occur to me: Your friend is distraught and panicking about his wife and has engaged in some majorly inappropriate transference by stealing the painful headlining drama and making it about him. Or, your friend is sub- consciously furious at his wife for getting sick and is punishing her. Or your friend has been harboring these feel- ings for a long time, and now that his wife's illness has reminded him of how fragile life is, his inhibi- tions have been stripped away. Whatever his reason for doing this, you can assume that he is a wreck, and also that he believes his feelings are real. You c a n a ls o as s um e t ha t these intense feelings of his will fade. You should forgive him and try to reconcile be- cause his wife has asked you to. He has been hon- est with you, and so you should be honest with him. Tell him you will make the effort to remain friends, even though his declaration has compro- mised your friendship, as well as put your spouses in a terrible position. Yes, your friendship may never be the same. But someone you care about has messed up. You can generously give him the opportunity to clean up the mess he has made. DEAR AMY » I want to reassure "Overwhelmed" that there is a sane alter- native to the madness of Christmas. My extended family decided to no lon- ger exchange gifts. Now, instead, we attend a play or concert at Christmas- time as a group. This put the "merry" back into the holiday. — Happy DEAR HAPPY » That's the spirit! Confessionofcrushhappens during a very delicate time You can contact Amy Dickinson via email: askamy@amydickinson. com and follow her on Twitter @askingamy. Amy Dickinson Ask Amy Sudoku Instructions:Theobjectistoplacethe numbers1to9intheemptysquaresso thateachrow,eachcolumnandeach 3x3boxcontainsthenumberonlyonce. AnswertoPreviousPuzzle CelebrityCipher ByLuisCampos Instructions:CelebrityCiphercryptogramsarecreatedfromquotationsbyfamouspeople, pastandpresent.Eachletterinthecipherstandsforanother. NEACrossword Sagittarius(Nov.23-Dec. 21) — Preparing for the festive season and doing something nice for someone special will have an impact on your personal and professional lives. Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) — Spending too much will be stressful when the bills arrive. Put more emphasis on being sincere and offering solutions instead of paying for others. Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) — You must make a change to a pending settlement, investment or medical issue that needs at- tention. Preparing for the future will contribute to your success. Pisces (Feb. 20-March 20) — Discussions will help you get a better view of a situation that could end badly if too much time or money will be required. Aries (March 21-April 19) — Your emotions will be dif- ficult to control. Don't let the past bring you down or allow what someone says to cause you grief. Remember the good things and make thoughtfulness your mission. Taurus (April 20-May 20) — It's important to know where you stand financially. Moving into the new year with a strat- egy in place will help you keep your overhead to a minimum. Gemini (May 21-June 20) — Socialize with friends or go shopping with someone who can help you find excellent bar- gains. Love is in the stars. Don't hesitate to make a romantic gesture. Cancer (June 21-July 22) — Be careful not to take on too much. Make it very clear what you can and cannot do. Refuse to let anyone take advantage of you, your time or your generos- ity. Don't overspend. Leo (July 23-Aug. 22) — Update your appearance or take better care of yourself and im- prove the way you treat others. A personal promise will bring positive change and stability. Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) — Something you were counting on isn't likely to unfold the way you expected. Remain calm and think strategically how best to handle the outcome or disappointment. Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) — Emotions will rise to the surface if you discuss your plans. Some- one will not be happy with the choices you make. Stick to your decision if it's what you really want. Scorpio (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) — Emotionally charged spend- ing will cause stress when the bills come in. You cannot win someone's heart with an extrav- agant purchase. Kindness and consideration should be good enough. Use your imagination. Horoscope By Eugenia Last WEDNESDAY, DEC. 21 | YOURDAILYBREAK | REDBLUFFDAILYNEWS.COM WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 21, 2016 4 B