Horoscopes

Aries (March 21-April 19): With fondness, you’ll look back on what you said goodbye to long ago. The nostalgia may have you thinking, if only for a second, “Should I try that again?” Probably not. Taurus (April 20-May 20): If you can avoid interruption, you’ll be twice as productive. The two biggest contributing factors to distraction will be your location and internet use. Gemini (May 21-June 21): Anyone who’s loved a television character or been devastated by the plotline of a book knows the power of alternative realities. Today, you’ll use this principle to your advantage. Cancer (June 22-July 22): The difference between a genuine smile and a forced or insincere one is registered, at least on a subconscious level, by most humans. Real smiles send real joy. This will be your contribution to an improved world today. Leo (July 23-Aug. 22): To do your best work, you must concentrate. To concentrate, you must be free of worry. To be free of worry, you must get resolution. You will do your best work once you’ve resolved the issue on your mind. Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): The child climbing the monkey bars on the playground is not thinking about tests of balance or growing motor skills. It just seems like a fun thing to do. Similarly, whatever you think might be fun now will also be a chance for unexpected growth. Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 23): If you can whip up some joy for yourself and live inside that, you’ll have accomplished the mission of your spirit. Just be careful not to confuse joy with pleasure, its brother from another mother. Scorpio (Oct. 24-Nov. 21): Life is full of surprises and today brings one of your favorite kinds — the kind where you surprise yourself. You’re deeper, stronger, more talented and more interesting than even you knew. Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): You’re not concerned with getting ahead, staying ahead or anything that has to do with being out in front. You want to enjoy your route, do justice to your role and learn something along

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Though wanting something to be finished will not make it so, it’s the organizing thought that causes you to make a list of steps and start methodically getting this thing on the rails. Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): As selfmotivated as you are, it is not always easy to keep yourself accountable to the things you say you want to do. You need other people. Need a game changer? Join a group. Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20): Is there such a thing as being too rational? Of course! And it’s every bit as precarious as being too irrational. When logic dulls the senses, let poetry bring them back.

DEAR ABBY » This is an open letter to all those women who write to you knowing their men cheated on them and then ask, “Should I marry him?” In their hearts they already know the answer; they just want YOU to tell them “NO!”

My mother saw my fiance’s car around town, parked at various churches and parking lots. He parked there so I wouldn’t see his car at “the other woman’s” house. Well, I showed up unexpectedly at his place one night and saw them both asleep in his bed. In a way, I felt relieved.

I knew I had to do something. I immediately canceled everything, but had the wedding invitations printed and gave them to his mom and sister to send out “right away.” When the big day arrived, I sat across the street in Dad’s car with my mom, watching as only HIS side of the family showed up at the vacant church. The note on the door read: “Stay with ‘Jazmine.’ You two deserve each other! Now tell your family what you did.”

I explained everything to my parents an hour later over dinner at the restaurant where we were supposed to have had our reception. We were all relieved the wedding was canceled. We laughed so much, and we reviewed all the signs that my mom tried to show me that I had ignored.

So don’t get mad, ladies. Do what I did — dry your tears and get even.

— Never looked back

DEAR NEVER » Love is blind, and you should have listened to your mother. You’re lucky you found out in time and didn’t marry your faithless fiance. While I don’t normally recommend revenge, I think in this case, the man had it coming.

DEAR ABBY » I am 52 years old and have experienced chronic fatigue (from Lyme and Epstein-Barr) most of my adult life. Four years ago, I discovered a wonderful medical practitioner and, by adhering to her protocol, regained such improved health that I began volunteering with a local organization. Due to a recent setback, however, fatigue has prevented me from volunteering, and my absence has been noticed.

Although I am usually a private person, I decided to divulge my health issues to the leader so he wouldn’t think I was unhappy with my duties. He then began asking if I had tried various health products and remedies to the point where I felt I was on trial and defending myself. In the past, before I received an accurate diagnosis, some family members and physicians doubted the validity of my illness, so I am sensitive to being questioned.

Over the years, I have sought treatment from various sources, from local health stores to nationally recognized hospitals, and I don’t appreciate advice from healthy armchair experts. I also don’t like being questioned or doubted. Did I set myself up by disclosing my health issues, or should I have remained polite but vague?

— Survivor in the East

DEAR SURVIVOR » In a sense, yes, you did set yourself up by disclosing the reason for your absence. The medical conditions from which you suffer were poorly understood years ago, and many people — medical personnel included — were under the impression that their patients’ problems were all in their heads. Please try to be less defensive where this person is concerned. From my perspective, he was only trying to be helpful.