Horoscopes

Aries (March 21-April 19): There is so much that you don’t need to worry about now, including what value you are adding to today’s situation. The others are way beyond that, and you should get past it, too. Being you is enough. Really! Taurus (April 20-May 20): Doing well will mostly be a function of relaxing and getting out of your own way. The chatter of your thoughts won’t help in this effort. Imagine they have a volume knob, and turn them down. Gemini (May 21-June 21): What you want is best for everyone involved, yet if you make a big deal about it, you’ll most likely be met with resistance. Offer the opposition nothing to resist. Then quietly achieve your aims under the radar. Cancer (June 22-July 22): The ancient oracle cautions that when you boil water over an open flame, there’s a chance that one will extinguish the other. There’s a balance here to respect. Your watchful eye will keep it all in check. Leo (July 23-Aug. 22): By now, it’s almost comical how many times you’ve been thwarted from a certain action. You’re starting to wonder whether the Fates are against you! If so, it only means there is something better in store for you. Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): It’s typical for you to nurture others in need as if you were feeding yourself. These days, you actually care for them better than that. Take a breath and ask who really needs it more. Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 23): With the current zeitgeist possessing so many celebrity showoffs and egos, sometimes it’s difficult to speak colloquially and humbly at the same time. Try. The prize for succeeding is true connection. Scorpio (Oct. 24-Nov. 21): If it’s not working, add more compassion and see what that does. If that doesn’t fix it, go down the list and try the next virtue. Maybe modesty is needed. Maybe patience or frugality. You can fix this through goodness. Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Compromise will be better than confrontation in today’s case. The others need to feel listened to. This is, of course, best achieved when they actually (SET ITAL) are (END ITAL) listened to! Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Some would have you believe that life is about sensual experiences, insider knowledge and generally making other people jealous. Ignore them today. The best life is about compassion and connection. Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): You don’t want to drift into the background, nor do you think that you’re the most interesting person in the room. You just aim to hold your own, and that’s a solid place to stay today. Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20): You are well-matched today, as your partners and opponents (often the same person) will have equal but very different strengths. Winners tip: In the end, this is a mental game.

To write to Holiday Mathis, visit www.creators. com/author/holiday-mathis and click “Contact.” DEAR ABBY >> My boyfriend and I have been together off and on for more than two years. We have been in a longdistance relationship the entire time. I live in California, and he lives in the Midwest. I’ve been trying to get him out here because I have a job I love, and he could easily get a job in his sector out here.

His issue is that this area has “too many people and is too fast-paced” for him. I’m not sure what to do. I don’t want to quit my job and move there. Finding a job there wouldn’t be easy since construction is not booming as much. What do I do? Do I just give up my job, or keep trying to convince him to move? Or should I cut my losses and start over?

— Long-distance dating

DEAR LONG DISTANCE >> I don’t think you should give up a job you love in an environment you enjoy on the chance that this two-year relationship might become permanent. If it goes nowhere, where does that leave you? It’s time to ask yourself whether you really want to tie your future to someone who prefers a different way of life. Once you answer that question, you will know what to do.

DEAR ABBY >> My son has his master’s degree in international relations, so he travels to places I will never see. He’s in Italy now, and he asked me what I would like for a souvenir. I said I wanted his memories.

I asked him to get a bag and put in it menus, train tickets and bar napkins, and to jot down at night on hotel stationery what he did, saw, how the weather was. I asked him to mention anything different or unusual and collect coasters, valet stubs, anything that would help him share his experiences with me when he gets back.

I said that when we go through all the stuff, I will get my vicarious thrill then — better that than some “tchotchke” I’d have to dust. Good idea?

— Proud mom in Florida

DEAR PROUD MOM >> Great idea! As the years go on, those “memory joggers” will let you both relive the adventures he’s having now, and they will become increasingly precious. I know it from experience.

DEAR ABBY >> I am sure this issue affects many people, but I have not seen it addressed in your column. Oftentimes married partners are separated by many years in age. Eventually the older of them has to enter a long-term care facility due to a mental/physical defect.

Even though the bond and love that kept them together over the years still exists, the younger still has physical and emotional needs that can no longer be met by the older spouse. What are the ethics in the younger one having a “friend with benefits” to address those needs, if it’s done discreetly without causing embarrassment and humiliation to the older spouse?

— Friends with benefits

DEAR FRIENDS >> This is a highly personal decision that no one can make for anyone else. While many readers may disagree, I see nothing wrong with taking care of yourself as long as you remember you have a moral obligation to support your spouse “‘til death do you part.” To me that means visiting and spending time with your spouse every day to ensure his/her needs are taken care of in a compassionate and diligent manner, and to let the person know he or she is loved.

TO MY JEWISH READERS: It’s time to hide the matzo again — Passover begins at sundown. Happy Passover, everyone!