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From Suzanne in Colorado:

Dear Lynn:

I have a long story to tell you. I hope you have the time to read it, and that it won't bore you too much. However, I wanted to tell the impact your comic strip, For Better or For Worse, has had on my life - an impact that you probably never expected as you write and draw your daily strip.

The local paper we have taken for years is The Denver Post, and it does not carry your strip. Every once in a while, I would read your strip in the other local paper, The Rocky Mountain News, or see it when visiting out of town.

I just happened to read it the day Farley died. For some reason, that news hit me like a two-by-four. I really don't remember taking much notice of your strip before that, but I must have, because I felt like my dog had died. I do know that I always liked your drawings, and from that day on, I craved reading your strip on a daily basis.

(Here comes the potentially boring part of this missive; please bear with me.)

I have an 'extended' family who lives in southern Colorado (we live just outside Denver). I 'adopted'them when I was in high school; actually, I specifically adopted Harry. He was my high school Assistant Principal during my junior year. They had five boys, the oldest who was my age, no girls, and we went to the same church. My parents were divorced, and I always 'needed' a father. Harry fit the bill, and the whole family was happy to have a girl in the tribe. That was 45 years ago, and we all still think of me as part of the family.

I happened to mention to Harry about Farley's death, and liking your strip, which he did also. He proceeded to cut the strip out of his paper every day, and send me a bunch at a time - always with a note. It was like Christmas every time I received a packet from him. This continued until a year ago. He died July 7, 2006. Barbaralu, his wife, gave me the last strip he had clipped for me.

In looking at the clipping later, I noticed your web site address, and 'found'� your world on the Internet. I am happy that I can read you daily, but also glad I never knew that capability existed before Harry died. His cutting out the comic on a daily basis and sending it to me were very special to both of us. Thank you for making that possible.

I understand that you have recently had a life change. I can't tell you I understand how you feel, because I don't understand -“ no one does. However, I can only hope that you will learn to make lemonade from the lemons life has given you. From the little I know of you through your web site and FBorFW, I expect that you will do so.

Best wishes for happiness in your 'new' life, and for continued success with FBorFW. I can't help you with the former, but I can help a little with the latter by always being a loyal fan (no matter where you take the characters in your comic strip).

Sincerely yours,
Suzanne

Lynn's response: Dear Suzanne, Thank you for your wonderful letter! Now and then I hear from folks who send or receive the strip through the mail and it's always such a compliment. How good it must feel to be a part of such a caring, giving family. I wish you all a happy holiday season - I'll be making lemonade with my children - who are my closest friends. All the best,