DEAR HARRIETTE: My aunt goes to the tanning beds at least four times a week. She has a pass at her local tanning salon and has been maintaining her "glow" for over two decades. Now that she is in her late 40s, health concerns that she did not previously have are popping up. She has had to get multiple skin biopsies, and there is a potentially serious biopsy in the lab right now. She frequently comes to my house to speak to my mother about how scared she is, but she never mentions how her actions might have caused this. I would be stunned if she didn't know about how harmful tanning beds are, but she hasn't stopped going! I suspect she might be skirting around that topic with her doctor.
Whenever she speaks to me, she asks me to pray for her. I always say I will, but in reality, I have reservations about asking God to help her with a problem she is causing herself. Is it best to just keep my mouth shut? -- No Beds for Me, Savannah, Georgia
DEAR NO BEDS FOR ME: Your aunt seems to be addicted to tanning beds. You can still pray for her. When you talk to her, you can also recommend that she stop tanning. Saying it out loud may make it more real for her.
Trust that her doctors know she is tanning, although maybe not how frequently. Her skin is talking, even if she isn't.
(Lifestylist and author Harriette Cole is president and creative director of Harriette Cole Media. You can send questions to askharriette@harriettecole.com or c/o Universal Uclick, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.)