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I was so excited to see Therese in today's strip! Believe it or not she is my favorite character. I think she has been unfairly portrayed. Being French-Canadian myself, I have a lot of sympathy for her. I don't know why she ever married Anthony, but I don't see that he was so "wronged" by her. Quite the opposite, in fact. I'm hoping that we will now see Therese as a real character instead of merely a paper doll representing EVIL. C'mon Lynn!

Justine M, Vermont

Okay, LJ, you have some explaining to do. I suppose Francie may have seen pictures of her mother, but we've been led to believe that Therese has no involvement in Francie's life. That, in essence, she was abandoned by her mother.

So here it is Christmas in a busy shopping mall and from across a concourse a toddler spots her unknown mother, whom she's never mentioned, and bolts for her yelling, "Mom!"

Sorry...the way you've written the strip Francie does not know her mother. Any contact with Therese was far enough in the past that there is no memory. And tell me..what pre schooler says "Mom?" How about "Mommy" if you even what this strip to be believable?

It used to be the little things that made your strip such fun to read--now the little details are the flaws.

Here's another thought...the weasel Anthony did not tell Liz the truth and Therese still does have contact with Francie. The ex-wife isn't such a shrew after all and Anthony used the story to manipulate Liz's emotions. That I could believe!

Jean, New York

In today's strip (12/13/07), Francie sees her mother at the mall while shopping with her father and Liz, and runs toward her. Next thing is Therese thinking "no!". Is that because she's forced to interact with the daughter she abandoned, or because Liz is with Francie?

I interpreted it to mean both. There are no strips where Francie is talking to her mother on the phone, for example, so I doubt that Therese even calls the little girl on her birthday or some other special occasion. That's how I came to believe that Therese is now forced to acknowledge her daughter in public.

Since Therese was always jealous of Liz, Therese's thought could be "oh no! There's my daughter and she's with Elizabeth! Why am I not surprised?"

I have always been kind of on the fence about the Liz/Anthony storyline, and thought that a confrontation with Therese was inevitable.

Is Francie now going to be hurt by the mother who, in essence, rejected her? I hope not and that there is a somewhat peaceful solution to this meeting between Liz and Therese. I guess I'll just have to "stay tuned"!

I've read FborFW almost from the beginning. I was a teenager when it began, now I have adult children slightly younger than Michael and Liz, a son the same age as April, and a 14 year old son. I've enjoyed it very much over the years, and seeing the old strips bring back memories, and make a little more sense to me now than they did when I was 15, 16 years old.

I'll keep reading just to see how it all plays out. I haven't been disappointed so far!

Stephanie P, Oklahoma City OK

I'm so excited to see Therese come back! Despite (or probably because of) her many flaws, she's such a fascinating character. I look forward to seeing how the Lizthony unit handles this.

P.S-- Can you please bring back Warren or bring in a new guy or even let Elizabeth be single for a while? I can't bear to see either Liz OR Therese with such a passive aggressive emotionally manipulative twerp.

Tia A, Victoria BC

It's late Wednesday night, and I just read Thursday's strip. Thank you SO MUCH for the return of Therese! Not because I particularly like her, but because it's wildly unrealistic to imagine that she could simply disappear from Anthony's life forever, not with a house and a kid in the picture. I thought we'd seen the last of her, and was disappointed that Lynn, who normally tackles realistic issue (however unpopular they are) would let this one slide. Please do not continue to villainize her! I want to see more of the character; at the very least, she's played a huge role in the development of both Anthony and Liz in the past few years, and it seems unfair to make her so one-dimensionally nasty.

I also hope Therese is finally vindicated by seeing Anthony and Liz dating--it's what she suspected all along!

K.A. S, Seattle

Lynn,

I write this letter because I can't find another way of contacting you. Plain and simple; I want to express my deepest affection for what you have done for myself and my family through your incredible talent. I am a Gay American with a Partner of 8 Years.....I have a very close extended family; Mom & Dad, Sister & Husband and two incredible young nieces that replicate by chance in our daily lives so much of what you have depicted in FBorFW over the years. My reading of your strip has helped me to grow as an individual and as a human being into a better person. Knowing your own personal real life story brings that into an even more finite perspective. You have been gracious and kind, and most importantly have shared yourself, YOUR LIFE with US for so long, I want to thank you from the bottom of our hearts for the greatest smiles you have brought to our faces over the years as your characters have experienced the same real life events we have. We have had a Farley(s), a Grandpa, and more too. And your strip, has made our life, the incredible gift that it is, so much easier to understand and appreciate through your incredible gift of talent and precious humor. I wish you all the happiness your future will most certainly bring!

David T, Charleston SC

Reading more comments about Liz and Anthony today, being nauseated yet again by their uninspiring interactions, I realized something.

The entire reason I read the strip is to watch their eventual breakup.

Please don't disappoint me!

PJ

At first I was in favor of Anthony and Liz, but when I compare her life now with what she left in Mtig, I would rather like to see her go back. There is such a richness there, Lynn, in that village of a thousand stories. Anthony and Liz are an old story.

You could do a great service if you returned Liz to that life. I think you have the gift to do that, to sensitively portray the native life in a way that opens understanding globally. I think it is your calling.

Andrea, Halifax Massachusetts

6 months ago I became a step father, and while I understood at the time the challenges I faced, there were still issues I never dreamed of that would occur.

My wife and I just recently went through a book entitled "The Smart Step-family" by Ron L. Deal. It has been a wonderful resource in dealing with the issues of being in a step family (and yes it is a Christian based book, but the information is good for all step-families).

I think the story line between Liz and Anthony would be a great way to show the struggles of a step-family and would be an oppertunity to give inspiration to many step-families out there!

Jason, Boise Idaho

I get so frustrated with Elizabeth. When she was a kid, she seemed so sensible. She dealt with the same things so many teenaged girls did, and then won!

When she went to college, the common sense went out the window: living with someone she obviously didn't know -- and after she had been so careful about relationships in high school. She really threw something away there.

After she moved out from the jerk, she suddenly seemed to enjoy pitting young men against each other for their affections.

Then she found the "dream" job! And she was doing great. As a teacher myself, I thought her Mtigwaki assignment was great enough to make it into a comic strip by itself. She was loved and respected by everyone, and seemed to have found her niche. She even found someone who was crazy about her, and her about him.

Paul makes all the efforts to get near: gets a transfer. And then, for some inexplicable reason, she decides to chunk everything. She moves back home, leaving behind probably the best thing she ever did.

Now she's back to the everyday humdrum, even picking up with somebody who's already messed up his own life.

Now we don't even know how the teaching is, because it's just a regular public school. And of course, Paul is a "bad" guy, because, after rooting himself from where he was, and moving where she was supposed to be, he somehow didn't stay "celibate," and dropped out of her pool of shining knights who joust for her.

As little kids, I always thought she was the one with the future. Mike, on the other hand, has proved himself as responsible, intelligent, and loyal. Elizabeth has thrown everything away for -- what? -- nothing.

Maybe there's still hope. Maybe April will still dump Gerald and actually make something of herself.

Hey, I'm way too far into this one. You really know how to tell a story!

Pat P, Texas

We were discussing your comics this morning in the office regarding Therese's reaction upon seeing her daughter in the mall. Now we are really wondering which direction this story line of Anthony and Elizabeth will go. Will Therese make a false promise to Frannie to get her out of her hair? Or will Therese try to please her daughter and be around for the Holidays? Again, great storytelling at work!

A.M., New Jersey

Dear Mrs. Johnston,
I thought I would take this time to tell you how much I love your strip, actually how much my entire family loves your strip, we have fought over the comics since day one. I am 20 years old and feel like i have grown up with FB or FW, large events in my life have been covered by your strip when my dog died I went back and reread the strips with Farley. When my grandpa passed I did the same thing. My mother actually let my Dad know she was preganant with me by giving him David were Pregnant (his name is David). I love your strip I make sure I read it everyday, and I would just like to Thank you for writting such a great story that so many people can relate to.

Thank you,

Stacey M, Calgary Alberta

Lynn,

Thanks for your recent portrayal of little Francie's jealousy over Elizabeth. As for Anthony, now we get to see what a bad parent he is, on top of being whiny, boring, and manipulative. It's clear that he's putting his own "wants" over Francie's "needs", just like divorcees all over the world who have kids and invite one partner after the other into their home, jumping in and out of their beds. This is far from responsible parenting. Anthony needs to put his effort into raising his daughter, not trying to somehow shoehorn Elizabeth into the mix and trying to justify to his daughter that "Daddy wants a big girl in his life too." What kind of a message does that send to Francie? The message it sends is one of: "You're not that important to me, but this other woman is". What a crummy burden to place on a child, having to vie for her father's affections. That's what it's about, Lynn. Anthony's "wants" vs. Francie's "needs". It should be very clear as to what's really important. Anthony needs to fully raise his daughter before he starts up a relationship with anyone, including Elizabeth (although I beleive that they are completely wrong for each other!)

John M, Michigan

Thanks so much for getting back with Liz and Anthony. You hae put them in a rather awkward situation concerning Anthony's little girl, but I know they (and you) will solve it in a realistic way that benefits everyone involved. I have always enjoyed the strip and look forward to it eagerly every day. Lynn, please don't ever lose your zest for life and for the family you have so lovingly created. Thank you so much.

Diane Z, AZ

Thank you Lynn, for what I feel -- and know!-- is the best of all the current comic strips. Your depictions of the characters and their lives are realistic and well-described, and indicate that you have tremendous insight into the full range of human nature --at least the normal ones. Your characters are so skillfully drawn - their facial expressions are perfect matches for the story line.
I have thoroughly enjoyed experiencing the vicissitudes and changes of the Pattersons over the years -- and look forward to many more story lines. Your strip alone is worth the price of our newspaper!

Appreciatively,

Karen LS, SC