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DEAR ABBY: My dearest friend passed away five years ago. He was a severe alcoholic, and his death resulted from it. I was aware of how bad things had gotten and I was trying to talk him into getting help. I live across the country but visited and spoke with him often. I was considering telling his parents how bad things were since they were mainly supporting him, but I was torn because he was an adult, and I didn’t know if it would be appropriate.

Well, while I was considering it, he passed away, and I haven’t been able to get over the guilt. I feel like I should’ve done more. I have a strong urge to tell his parents I knew how he was doing and was contemplating telling them and how sorry I am that I didn’t. Would it be selfish, like rubbing salt in their wounds, just so I can find some kind of peace? I have been going back and forth with this since his death. I have such regret that I didn’t do something more. I don’t know if their forgiveness would help me, or if I’d just be hurting them more. Your opinion on this would be helpful. — FULL OF REGRETS

DEAR FULL: Please forgive yourself and stop second-guessing. You are guilty of nothing more than being a caring friend. The deceased was responsible for his own alcohol-related death. If his parents were supporting him financially, they were already aware their son had a serious problem. Because after five years you cannot stop flogging yourself, you have two options: Discuss this with your religious adviser, or ask your doctor or your insurance provider to refer you for some sessions with a licensed psychotherapist with whom you can work through this.

DEAR ABBY: I have had a girlfriend for about three years, but I have recently begun to feel indifferent about our relationship. We have to travel at least 45 minutes to see each other and don’t always see each other on weekends. I have been trying to convince her to move into my townhome, but something new arises each time I bring it up.

Recently, a younger woman (she’s 21, I’m 32) showed an interest in me during one of my sports games. I have talked to her and won’t let any relationship develop outside of being friends. She’s religious and I’m not, and that’s a deal-breaker for me. I’m torn between continuing to try to build my current relationship, trying to pursue the new one, or taking a step back from relationships to focus on my personal goals. Any thoughts, Abby? — PONDERING IN PENNSYLVANIA

DEAR PONDERING: It doesn’t appear that you OR your girlfriend of three years is really ready to take things to the next level. If you were, you wouldn’t be debating whether to trade her in for a newer model. As to the younger one, you just stated clearly that her religiosity is a deal-breaker for you. Your third option makes the most sense. Concentrate on your personal goals for a while, and with time, your love life will work itself out.

Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren, also known as Jeanne Phillips, and was founded by her mother, Pauline Phillips. Contact Dear Abby at www.DearAbby.com or P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069.

For an excellent guide to becoming a better conversationalist and a more sociable person, order “How to Be Popular.” Send your name and mailing address, plus check or money order for $8 (U.S. funds), to: Dear Abby, Popularity Booklet, P.O. Box 447, Mount Morris, IL 61054-0447. (Shipping and handling are included in the price.)

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Five people were killed, and nine others were wounded in shootings Monday in Chicago, including a person who was found shot to death in Rogers Park on the North Side.

About 9 p.m., a male, whose age was not known, was found lying in the middle of the street in the 1300 block of West Farwell Avenue, Chicago police said. He had gunshot wounds in the face, shoulder and torso. He was taken to Saint Francis Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Hours prior, a person was fatally shot in Chatham on the South Side. The male, whose age wasn’t known, was found unresponsive in an apartment about 6:30 p.m. in the 8000 block of South Ingleside Avenue, police said. He was shot in the head and was pronounced dead at the scene. He hasn’t been identified.

Two men were shot to death in Austin on the West Side. About 12:35 p.m., they were in the 5000 block of West St. Paul Avenue when someone opened fire, striking them multiple times, police said. The men, 27 and 26 years old, were shot in the head and transported to Mt. Sinai Hospital, where they were pronounced dead.

In the day’s first reported fatal shooting, a 70-year-old woman was fatally shot in Hegewisch on the Far South Side. The woman was parked in her car just after 4:25 a.m. in the 13300 block of South Baltimore Avenue when two males approached and fired shots, police said. She was taken to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn where she was listed in critical condition, but was transferred to University of Chicago Medical Center where she died.

Nine others were wounded in shootings citywide.

Eight people were killed, and fifty-six others were wounded, in shootings last weekend throughout Chicago.

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Moon Alert

Avoid shopping or making important decisions after 8:30 p.m. Chicago time. After that, the moon moves from Sagittarius into Capricorn.

Aries (March 21-April 19)

Today is the perfect day to travel somewhere because you need a change of scenery. Do whatever you can so that you feel a sense of adventure and stimulation. Go somewhere you’ve never been before because you will feel gratified to learn something new.

Taurus (April 20-May 20)

Discussions about inheritances, shared property and insurance issues will favor you. Get your ducks in a row and defend your best interests. In particular, these discussions might relate to real estate, a family business or domestic situation.

Gemini (May 21-June 20)

Because the moon is in a sign that is opposite your sign, you have to go more than halfway when dealing with others. This simply requires a little cooperation and tact. In two weeks, when the moon is in your sign, others will have to cooperate with you!

Cancer (June 21-July 22)

You might have to work on behalf of someone else because you need to perform a service or cater to their needs. Fear not. You aren’t being a martyr. This is just how things are rolling out today. Do what you can to get better organized.

Leo (July 23-Aug. 22)

This is a playful, fun-loving day, which is why it’s an excellent time to explore social outings, fun activities with kids and sports events. Accept all invitations to party! You will also be productive in areas related to the entertainment world and show business.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)

Home and family are your top priority today. In fact, you will enjoy having a chance to cocoon at home and relax among familiar surroundings. Do whatever you can so that you have a warm feeling in your tummy. Pamper yourself.

Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)

Today you have strong need to communicate to others. Not only do you want to talk to someone and of course, listen — you want to have a meaningful bond with this person. You want to discuss real things. You don’t want to dally in superficial chitchat.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)

Something to do with earnings, cash flow and money is on your mind today. You might be thinking of asking for a raise? Whatever occurs might involve a boss or a parent. One thing is certain, financially speaking, you can benefit from real estate this year.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)

Things will tend to go your way today because the moon is in your sign. Having said that, when the moon is in your sign, (this happens for 2 1/2 days every month) you become more emotional. Keep this in mind and do your best to stay chill.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)

You might want to withdraw from the busyness of your daily world and seek out solitude or some peace and quiet so that you can catch your breath. Now and then, it’s good to do this to get grounded. Afterward, you’ll be more ready to sally forth into your world!

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)

This is an excellent day for a heart-to-heart discussion with a female acquaintance. You might seek out this person’s advice. Possibly, they will help you in some way with your future goals? (This could be a continuation of yesterday’s conversation.)

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20)

Once again, you are high visibility today, which means people notice you more than usual, especially bosses, parents, teachers and the police. (Oh yes, take notice. You might have to do some damage control.) When others are looking at you, put your best foot forward!

If Your Birthday Is Today

Actor Robert De Niro (1943) shares your birthday. You are highly individualistic and walk to the beat of your own drum. You are both charming and aggressive. You are also creative and imaginative. Privately, you’re a romantic. This year it’s time to loosen up and have fun! You have a strong zest for life and will enjoy schmoozing with others, which will be easy because you are more popular.

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The Cubs reportedly will face the Reds in the ”Field of Dreams” game next season in Dyersville, Iowa. The game tentatively is scheduled for Aug. 11, 2022, and will be considered a Reds home game, according to USA Today Network’s Bob Nightengale. August 11 is currently a scheduled off day for both teams before they begin a three-game series at Great American Ball Park.

Major League Baseball announced the game would return in 2022, even before the wildly popular Yankees-White Sox game took place last Thursday. With 5.9 million viewers, that game was the most-watched regular-season baseball game on Fox in 16 years.

The White Sox hosted the Yankees last Thursday. The teams then had an off day Friday before concluding the series Saturday and Sunday at Guaranteed Rate Field.

Cubs manager David Ross let it slip the Cubs were scheduled to play in next year’s game during a chat with reporters last week.

It was first reported by NBC Sports Chicago. Major League Baseball has not made an announcement, although commissioner Rob Manfred did say MLB would return in 2022.

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Football is a complex game. But one thing is for sure: The quarterback is the most important man on the field.

How goes your quarterback, so goes your team.

Bears rookie quarterback Justin Fields lit up the Dolphins in his preseason debut Saturday afternoon. And he also — and appropriately — lit up Bears fans everywhere.

What we glimpsed was a young man with exceptional poise in the pocket, the ability to scan the field and make confident decisions, and an arm that is accurate and pro-ball worthy.

We also saw speed.

Indeed, we saw exceptional speed from Fields — a 4.45 in the 40 speed — which is essentially receiver and cornerback speed.

Yes, you hear about the guys who run 4.3s, even the rare 4.2s. But those are track stars, human bullets, and, remember, the 40-yard dash is run in a straight line, and not much on a football field goes in a straight line.

When Fields scored on an eight-yard scramble to his left in the third quarter, he arced around the Dolphins’ pass rush, blew away from pursuing linebacker Duke Riley and beat closing safety Jevon Holland to the end zone. It was grace and athleticism and spatial awareness. And it was pure speed.

Nobody can say for sure that Fields will be a mighty success in the NFL. Preseason games are like invasions of seasonal cicadas — a lot of flying around and noise, signifying almost nothing.

But when he said the professional game he was playing seemed “kind of slow to me,” you had to perk up your ears and think to yourself, ‘OMG, we found one!’ Because the NFL game is fast, very fast.

Yes, the players are bigger and stronger, and assuredly meaner, than in college. But every position is played with as much speed as possible. And that makes all the difference.

Even blimp-like offensive linemen are selected according to foot speed and agility in their little pig-like spaces. So if a sturdy, 6-3, 227-pound quarterback says he has time to think and he sees the field well and time has slowed down for him, it means his own speed transcends the normal borders of his position.

What Fields demonstrated in his brief outing against the Dolphins is that a good quarterback who is fast is better than a good quarterback who is slow. Or even average speed.

Here’s a test. Imagine Tom Brady with speed. The soon-to-be Hall of Famer would be absolutely terrifying if he had sprinter’s lightning to go with his computational genius and deadly arm.

So we are left to wonder why the NFL took so long to covet swift and athletic quarterbacks, to feverishly seek them out and draft them and change the game to utilize their gifts.

One reason is that it’s rare to find anyone who can throw rockets, who is a leader, who gets the game, and who is fast as hell.

Fran Tarkenton was slippery and elusive. So were Joe Theismann and Doug Flutie. But those quarterbacks were on the smallish or slender side.

Steve Young could move, and quarterbacks like Joe Montana, John Elway, and even old Bears helmsman Bobby Douglass were very good athletes. But they didn’t have blazing speed, and, of course, as they aged, they got beaten up pretty good.

The truly fast quarterbacks — Michael Vick, Donovan McNabb, Robert Griffin III, and more recently, Colin Kaepernick, Tyrod Taylor, Deshaun Watson, and Lamar Jackson are, as a point of fact, Black. And the NFL, as I’m sure you’re aware, has only followed society, not led it, in giving Black men the opportunities they deserve and can excel at.

There was on old saying in the game: White up the middle. That meant all the “thinking” and leadership positions were segregated: i.e., free safety, middle linebacker, center, and — of course — quarterback.

The change was slow to come. And the lesser positions went first. The great ones stand out. There was middle linebacker Willie Lanier with the Chiefs, center Dwight Stephenson with the Dolphins, free safety Emlen Tunnell for the Packers, all in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

But Black quarterbacks were subtly nudged aside. Their speed, if they had it, was almost a detriment. Hey kid, line up with the wide receivers.

But finally stars like Warren Moon and Randall Cunningham came along, and their gifts opened eyes. Now Chiefs superstar Patrick Mahomes blows people’s minds.

The Bears might have a gift in Justin Fields. If he blazes across the football sky, fast and furious, what a joy it will be.

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A health care worker, known by Belmont Central residents as “Dr. Lou,” was treating patients Sunday when he heard a loud vibration that sounded like a drill going through a ceiling.

When he heard the screams that followed, he ran outside and saw two girls with gunshot wounds lying on the grass.

Lou, who didn’t want his full name used, immediately checked the older girl’s breathing, felt for a pulse and then grabbed her hand, repeatedly telling her, “It’s going to be OK.”

“I just wanted her to be aware in case she was still conscious that someone was really caring for her while she was dying. I did not want her to feel she was dying alone,” Lou said, his voice quivering.

“And the truth is she did not make it. And I feel sorry I could not do more.”

Serenity Broughton, 7, died from the gunshot wounds she suffered to her chest and torso.

Her sister, identified by family as 6-year-old Aubrey Broughton, was “fighting for her life” at Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood with gunshot wounds to her chest and armpit, Chief of Patrol Brian McDermott said Sunday.

A 7-year-old girl was killed and another wounded August 15, 2021 in Belmont Central.Anthony Vazquez/Sun-Times

Lou said roughly 20 bullet casings ended up in a narrow alley beside his clinic after the shooting.

“It was a terrible sight,” said Lou who ran back to grab more supplies to help Aubrey just as police and paramedics arrived and took over the blood-soaked scene.

“I never seen anything like this. It was like in movies. I’ve never seen anything like this ever. And it’s happening in real life.”

The girls’ mother was putting Serenity in the backseat of the family’s car when Serenity was shot shortly before 3 p.m. in the 6200 block of West Grand Avenue, Chicago police said.

Aubrey was sitting in the back of the car when the gunfire erupted on the block police described as a “gang-conflict area.”

Neither the girls nor their mother were intended targets, police said.

Lou did not know how the girls ended up in the grass but said there was so much commotion and crying, his goal was to tend to them.

A 7-year-old girl was killed and another wounded August 15, 2021 in Belmont Central.Anthony Vazquez/Sun-Times

Mayor Lori Lightfoot Monday described the girls’ shooting as “senseless and brutal” and called for a war against gangs.

“We must unite against our common enemy: the gangs who have no regard for the sanctity of life, even that of young children,” Lightfoot said in a statement.

“We must declare war on these killers and their associates, and we must support our police as they leave no stone unturned as they search for the killers so that they may face justice. These killers have forfeited their right to walk amongst us as free people and we can have no empathy for them.”

Police are encouraging anyone with information on the shooting to file an anonymous tip on the Chicago Police Department’s website or to contact Area 5 detectives.

Activist Andrew Holmes is also offering a $2,000 reward for any information leading to an arrest or conviction.

“It’s not about the money, it’s just about catching these individuals before they strike and hit another child,” Holmes said. “Stop killing our children.”

Serenity and Aubrey’s cousin, Alysha Tolefree, said the family has started an online fundraiser to cover costs related to Serenity’s funeral and the girls’ medical bills.

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