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Today's strip was so poignant it made me want to cry! I wish I had been as good a grandaughter to my grandmother as April is to Granpa Jim. April is a great teen, with her morals and ideals firmly in place.

Thanks Lynn, for all your wonderful strips. I go into withdrawal if I don't get my daily "fix"!

Genoa, The Berkshires, MA

Thank you for today's message Lynn. My own Grandfather was a very important part of my life as a kid and as an adult. Today marks the first anniversary of his death -- and April's teaching us all a very valuable lesson. Please make the most of every minute with older members of your family. How I wish I could hug my grandfather today!

Todd R, Rock Hill SC

For the first time in my life, a comic strip brought tears to my eyes!

Fern R, CA

Grandpa Jim got married and had kids so he could produce Perfect Little Miss Princess April.

Anonymous

I am a long time fan of For Better or for Worse, and I have to say for the first time I have been brought to tears with the strip from June 6, 2008. It is so touching and heartwarming. A granddaughters love for her grandfather. Thank you for such wonderful true to life stories.

Helen H, Brampton ON

You have done it again, Lynn. I am sitting here trying to type through the tears. Thank you, thank you, thank you for your most wonderfully humane and HUMAN strip!

Anne W, Marysville WA

Thank you so much for For Better or For Worse. You have touched my heart so many times and I feel each new strip is a gift. I appreciate all the different nuances of each character. I am also enjoying the flashbacks. Please keep up the good work.

Nina B, Cantonment Fla

It's so good to see that Jim is still "in there!" How wonderful to see him express his love and pride in spite of his limitations!

Angela, Pennsylvania

Poor Grampa, still struggling to communicate, with only Iris to interpret for him. What happened to his Picture Board? In Elizabeth's letter of November 2006, she went on at some length about the custom Picture Board she had made for him. Then added "I don't mean to sound too self-congratulatory, but I feel good about having done that, especially since I can't visit as often as I want." I thought Time was more important than Things? Wasn't spending more time with her grandfather one of Liz's excuses for moving back South?

April remains one of the most likeable Pattersons--partly because she really cares for her grandfather. Liz dropped by once, to ask permission to wear her grandmother's wedding dress. (Of course, she was already wearing the dress--unbelievably nice after its years in the crawl space.) Michael was with her then--& he's also dropped by to brag about his literary success. And chastise his grandfather for an inability to communicate.

If Grandpa isn't supposed to have candy, why did Elly & John bring him a "nice roast beef dinner" & a big birthday cake last March? Perhaps they left April behind (along with all the other Pattersons) for daring to mention his dietary restrictions. (Anyway, I'll bet Elly & John ate most of the food. We've seen them chowing down!)

Poor April.

NB, Houston

Lynn, you are UNBELIEVABLE!!! What a risk taker you are putting yourself (FBOFW) out there for criticism and/or praise. I, for one enjoy every frame whether or not I wish for a different outcome or not. You are a brave soul and I would like to acknowledge that because you have stirred much emotion whether it is bad or good from your readers. I worry about you and hope you are getting through the ups and downs of your fans. Keep up the good work.

Ellen, Rockville MD

Today's strip (June 6) touched me--a teen taking time with her grandfather, a wife understanding her husband, and a grandfather finding unique ways to express himself. It brought tears to my eyes .

Kathleen R, Corning NY

I feel lucky that the stroke my mom had several years ago did not affect her like it did with Jim. Mom can still walk with aid of a walker and can talk. I feel for anyone who has gone threw or is going threw what Jim has.
Koodos to Lynn for doing such an excellent job.

Rose, Redbridge ON

i love the way how iris always seems to know what jim means to say or do with his actions.am also glad to seee that jim hasn't given up on himself or his family,he still try to be there for them they way he was before and it is really sweet.some people have said that you may let jim pass away before the strip ends and i have to say plz don't do it i would most likely cry my self.

great job as always lynn

Bridget Q, New Glasgow

It's sort of sad to see Jim in the state he's in but what makes it a little bit worse is that his beloved dog, Dixie, is clearly not doing much better. We haven't see the poor girl in months so it's obvious that she's not in the best of health.

Paul J, Saint John NB

Thank you for April spending time with Jim. I was fortunate to have known my grandparents (including my great) until my 30s. Those relationships are truly some of the most memorable ones I have.

Lyndsey G, Michigan

Lynn
I can't start the day without a quick look at what is happening with Elly and her family. I can't get over how you can tell a heart warming story with humour in one strip. You are truly amazing. If you ever get to come down under please let us know where you will be so I can meet you

David, Australia

Why can't we see the things April talks about doing, instead of enduring irritating, redundant flashbacks or watch Connie gush as Elly pats her own back? I would MUCH rather have seen April interview for her summer job or practice her music or get her driver's license than put up with "Gee, I'm such a wonderful, terrific mom!" or "It's okay, Mr. TemporaryMan, I can insult this moron because she's my wife, har har har!"

But on the plus side, it's nice to see April interact with her Grandpa. Very touching and sweet. Please don't ruin the story arc by ending it with some stupid contrived pun.

Truman F, Georgia

My mother had a massive stroke about a week after Jim had his. Like Jim, she was paralyzed and unable to speak. Although she was rushed to hospital and had the mediation to reverse the stroke, she died two days later.
Thank you for showing Jim's story - it shows how 'lucky' we were that Mom did not have to suffer, and how lucky she was to have had her independence right to the end. We miss her but are so grateful that she is 'not Jim'.

Kathleen P, Vancouver BC

Today's strip really spoke to me today. This past Christmas, my Dad had stroke. When it happened, I immediately caught up with Jim's experience. I can really relate to April now, watching my Dad becoming a shell of the once great man he was. I look at him and miss the Dad I remember. There have been many times when I see him and think the same thing April did today, "I want to cry."

Cory W, Acampo CA

It's such a strain on the heart to see Jim in the condition that he is. It reminds me of my great grandfather in his last days. He was ill and he was put in comfort care. I would talk to him, but he was always in such a daze due to pain medications that he would not respond. It's good that Jim's granddaughter is appreciating her time with him while it lasts.

Kate, Long Island

I save your strip for last because it has come to mean so much to me. I have been a fan for many years and it is as if I have grown with your characters. It's like having a neighbor I get to visit with daily. I have no family and so I live vicariously through your strip. Thank You.

Wanda K, Illinois

It's nice to see the current story arc with Jim and the rest of the family dealing with his stroke. Last fall, my grandmother had a stroke and then a week or two later, was admitted to the hospital and then she was put into a hospice unit. Within a month, she was gone.

I was lucky this time because at least we saw it coming and I could get up to say goodbye while she was still reasonably coherent. A few weeks later, I was back up there and was able to see her although by this time, she wasn't really conscious of much (that I know of). The day before Thanksgiving, she passed away. I guess it was good all around, she didn't linger and those of us who loved her had a chance to say goodbye. Something I never had the opportunity to do with any of my other grandparents.

It was a rough time. I am just glad my girlfriend was with me as well as our two dogs (one of whom is a certified therapy dog). I hope when the time comes for Grandpa Jim to go, Edgar, Dixie and Shiimsa will be there for the Pattersons. I'm sure they will be a blessing.

I really enjoy reading the comics, its very down to earth. It's been nice to grow up with Michael and Lizzie.

Thanks for many wonderful years of comics enjoyment.

David D, Des Moines Iowa

The strip (with Grampa failing)is so true to life. I have "been there" and the present story line brings tears to my eyes.
Life is cruel sometimes. Thanx for portraying it as it is - not sugarcoated.
I still miss Farley.

Dorothy T, Florida

I loved the strip where April and Eva are shopping and April gives her parents credit for teaching her to shop wisely. It reminded me of my 15yo daughter.

For the past three or four years we've given her a yearly clothing budget of $500 on a debit card, and told her that when it's gone, it's gone. As a result, she's become an excellent shopper, and can't believe her friends whose parents just buy them whatever clothes they seem to want at the moment.

I sent her a link to the strip.

Keith G, Syracuse NY

As I write this today (Thursday), I have not yet read the day's reader comments. I expect that someone will find fault with April for visiting Jim.
It is almost to be expected after the criticism she received the other day for being a responsible teenager who wants to avoid credit debt.
It is perplexing that so many people think April is a rotten person because she is mature for her age...

Wesley M, Minneapolis MN

April, babe, I know. My Grandpa had a type of skin cancer that everyone SAID wasn't too serious, but suddenly, for different reasons, he is on oxygen and his mind isn't what it used to be. I laugh at this reality, because I can't accept it...but I know, April, I know...

Rachel G, Illinois

I loved today's strip. My own grandmother-in-law had a terrible stroke in 2002. She lost the use of her entire right side. We brightened her days as much as possible and her 3 great-grandchildren and I miss her terribly. Thank you for the wonderful strip about Grandpa Jim and the truthfulness of his disability. I also love the hairstyles of your characters. I have long hair and am forever putting it up. It is easy to forget about it if it is out of the way. I say let them have long hair in buns.
Keep up the wonderful strip.

Julie S, Decatur IN

In the strip for 5 June '08, Elizabeth isn't the only one who wants to cry. I am going through the same thing with my mother, and have been for the past ten years. I don't whether to thank you or not, through my own tears.

Baird S, Melbourne FL

After reading so many of todays comments I know that I'm not alone as being a person who took care of a loved one and always wondered did I do enough. After crying my eyes out I started remembering all the lovely memories I have of my parents and husband. Thank you Lynn Johnston for providing memories along with laughter. I love the Pattersons and look forward to visiting with them everyday.

Sandra W, Las Vegas

First of all, today's strip was spot on. Bravo for distilling a heartbreaking situation so perfectly into four panels.

Second, and I know I'm a little late to the game here, but I'm not sure what the controversy is over Michael and Lawrence playing unsupervised all day in someone's backyard. Even the readers defending the strip say it's okay only because things were different back then ... safer.

The world is not so much more unsafe now. I might not recommend letting kids roam freely in the streets if they live in an impoverished, crime-ridden neighborhood, but -- sadly -- that was true in 1979 as well. The number of child murders or child abductions by strangers hasn't risen in the past thirty years. Adults have just gotten more paranoid, and kids today are suffering for it.

Susan W, Tucson AZ

It is so exciting to have you doing the retrospective of John and Elly. I have loved your strip for years and was especially thrilled when you named child no. 3 April since my third child, now 24, is named April also and because of that she has always felt like the odd man/woman out.

I also applaud your inclusion of minorities in your strip since most of us don't see them in anything Canadian as a rule.

You are indeed one of my favorite people in all the world.

John, Charlotte NC

Todays strip (June 5) broke my heart. My grandpa, whom I was very close to, died after several strokes, and what I went through was similar to what April is dealing with.
Thank you for bringing up something so honest and important to so many people.

Kate J, Louisville KY

Poor April. She seems so mature now, but seeing her sad face today....once again she seemed like that innocent, sweet little girl with big brown eyes and tousled brown hair. April has always seemed to be the most profound of the Pattersons. When Marian died, April said she felt closer.... and now and then she just says little comments that make her seem so wise. I like that about her. So young and free in some ways, but in others, so mature.

Jessie, Trenton ON

This is my first time writing about this comic strip after seeing today's strip, I can relate to April and her grandfather, for my father had many strokes at the age of 94 and passed away at 97, and his granddaughter also helped him during this time and it is almost like seeing my father all over again, when seeing Jim. The frustration of wanting to communicate when no one can understand you, trying to still be independent but can't be, the difficulty of being able to walk without assistance. This hits home really hard and I think it is wonderful in this strip to show April caring about her grandfather, maybe it will open up eyes of those selfish don't care grandchildren. My father's other grandchildren came to see him only twice during the 3 years he suffered his strokes and he would have loved to have them visit him. My daughter and son were there as much as possible to help care for him, my son would get a book and read to him which you could tell by his eyes, he enjoyed this time with his grandson. My oldest grandson also helped his great-grandfather and he was telling me, he doesn't regret one moment being able to help as much as possible for he knows in his heart his great-grandfather appreciated him. It is refreshing to see a teenager care about the elderly.

Kay B, Sacramento

Thank you for the coverage of Ellie's father and his recovery. It is nice to see that April shows as much concern and compassion for him as she does. My mother was only 56 when she suffered her stroke and never quite recovered. Finally passing at 60. I am now dealing with my father in law approaching bouts of alzheimers at 85. There are times when I feel so alone but when I read your column I know I am not. Thanks so much.

Denie, Meridian ID

How real to life you got today's strip. April is such a caring teen. when my son who is 17 was recently visiting my ailing mom, noticed he wasn't talking to her much. He said it was so hard to see her like that he wanted to cry when he saw her.

Lisa T, Ramsay NJ

Thursday strip made me cry too. The strip was tasteful.

Tara, Vacaville CA

The strip today really touched my heart. I sit here with tears in my eyes because today reminded me of my own mother's stroke and how it still touches my heart on the love portrayed in the Patterson family from young to old. Thank you for keeping us on track for love and kindness to others in our lives. Bless you.

Barbara M, West Bend WI

I hope you won't leave Grandpa Jim in the place where he now lives. There are things worse than death and grief, eternally living on in a living death, for instance. Today, April wants to cry seeing her Grandpa. So do I. He is tired. He has no life. Iris has no life. Let him rest in peace. He deserves it, he has earned it. Let him sleep in eternal peace.

Jane, Kentucky

WOW alot of people are crying along with me today... thank you for keeping things "real" with todays strip.

Cindy, Maple Ridge BC

Just watching Jim's deterioration is heart wrenching for me. I went through the same with my father and it is like looking at my father all over again. I can really relate to this and it is actually painful.

Louise M, Denver

I had to write to comment on the comment about folding towels. Wasn't that a strip where Ellie was complaining to her friends about John's towel-folding, and they said,"What, he actually helps out around the house, and you're complaining?" I recently started teaching my 6-year-old how to fold his clothes, and he likes to do the washcloths, so I let him do the towels as well. Of course he didn't fold them the 'right' way, but I reminded myself of that very strip and decided he could fold them any way he liked! How often does For Better or For Worse feature in our lives!

Angela, Pennsylvania

By chronicling a the life of a family, more or less in real time, FBOFW transcends the label of "comic strip" and becomes real art. The strip today (April visiting Grampa) was beautiful, and read like a scene from a well-directed movie. Good job, Lynn.

Noah, Columbus Ohio

Wonderful, touching strip today. So great that April can visit her Grandfather and wants to spend time with him. My Father hasn't had a stroke, but is slowly deteriorating due to dementia and other health problems. End of life isn't always pretty, and its hard to witness; but things like April's visits sure improve the quality of it. Thanks for the wonderful, well done, sensitive portrayal of this time of Jim's life.

Marsha, Reno NV