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« Wednesday August 27, 2008 | Main | Friday August 29, 2008 »
Thursday August 28, 2008
I became engaged in February (1968) and we planned an August wedding. A month after my engagement, my mother was diagnosed with cancer. Back then there were no treatments like radiation and chemo. If you agreed, they did "exploratory" surgery which often seemed to hasten death. The doctor told us my mother would like pass away before August.
And so, we moved up the date to the end of May. We had barely three months to plan and "produce" our wedding. I was ok to cut some corners, but my mother refused to and so from her hospital bed she orchestrated many of the finer details. (Oh did I mention I lived and worked-taught school-three hours away?)
Our wedding, complete with cast of thousands, stunning dresses, reception, et al went off without a hitch! My mother was released from the hospital for the occasion and was able to attend. She sat for the receiving line and she was so beautiful.
Sure enough, by August she was completely bedridden and she passed in October.
I share this for a couple of reasons: 1) anyone who thinks you can't put together a formal wedding with all the trimmings in a couple of months has never had to. If you have to, you will. And with the technology available today, it should be far easier than my experience was.
2)the joy and the sorrow of this strip for all these years has been knowing that these stories were so true. If not my story, then the story of someone I knew, and if not theirs, then someone's.
Universal themes and experiences, the mark of good stories everywhere, unify rather than divide. That has been the richness of FBOFW: it has been everyone's story at some point along the way.
And if, as I sometimes suspect, that some readers are too young to connect to some of FBOFW, may you live a long life so that you can!!
Blessings to all and especially to Lynn!!
Gwen, Massachusetts
Bravo, Lynnn.....
An EXCELLENT ending to a much loved story line!!!!!!!
"And they lived happily ever after.............."
Donna in Montana
It sure is a nice way to end a story. Thank you for years of good, heart warming stories. Now on with the new!
Sarah, Ohio
I have been reading the comic for as long as I can remember (I can remember when Michael & Elizabeth were the only children!). I am so sad that the strip is coming to an end (I'd have loved to see Elizabeth have her own kids and go through what her mother went through!), but I am happy it'll continue to be run in "New-runs".
Congratulations on such a long successful run, and continued success in the future!
Kathy G, West Henrietta FL
Dear Ms. Johnston,
This is such a bittersweet week. I'm thrilled that Elizabeth and Anthony have married but sad to see this come to an end. I'd like to follow their lives as I have John and Elly's. However, I'm excited to see what will come of your new idea and unique presentation of the strip in the near future.
I don't know how long I've read this comic strip but it was and has remained my favorite for quite a number of years. Thank you for the enjoyment you've given others through the lives of the Patterson family. I've especially enjoyed seeing Grandpa. He reminds me so much of my Dad and I've loved seeing what has taken place with him and Iris.
Thank you again for the fun over the years. Best of luck to your new endeavor and I look forward to seeing the "new" strip!
Joy F, Anderson, South Carolina
First of all I hope you get to see this.
I don't get to the comics like I used to, but I saw the headline about your strip changing & I felt that I had to write this to you...
YOU GO GIRL!! I just had a feeling this was the situation, as I was reading the story...
I think it's brave of you to do this first of all! Not many would or have the chance to do this, and the fact a woman is blazing the trail!
Many women stay in stagnant or bad relationships & not have the strength to make things better! And the fact your life's work is reflecting this is just huge!
Charles Schulz made a wise decision about not wanting someone else to take over work that was so much a part of him. I commend you for this bold move! And I hope it pays off for you in insurmountable ways!
You should be given an award & may others come to see the positive side of this!
May this be the best work yet! You rock!!
Debbie, Twin Cities MN
I just want to thank for the last 29 years. I began reading the strip being not much older than Michael. And now, as a "grown up" man, I will miss very much your strip. I looked forward to reading it everyday.
As a gay man, I was especially proud of the way you took on the outing of Lawrence without backing down, knowing the backlash you would receive.
Again, thank you for the last 29 years. I look forward to being reacquainted to the Pattersons!
Bruce, St. Louis MO
HI LYNN: I just read where the Sunday edition of 'For Better or for Worse' will be your last enstallment of the comic strip. I will be sorry to see it end. It is and has been the very 1st thing I read in my daily newspaper. I have followed the Patterson's since it began have enjoyed seeing Michael and Elizabeth grow up and for Michael to marry and have children and for Elizabeth's recent marriage after all the other 'duds' she went with over the years. I think this was a perfect match for the newly weds. It would have been nice to see April grow up and get married. But I know you have your own life to live and things change and move on. I will miss the Pattersons and their lives, but they will do fine as you will. Your contribution to all your readers has been wonderful and I wish you and your family all the very best. Take care.
Sincerely,
Dennis C, Roy Utah
My mom just called to tell me that the strip was ending on Sunday. She was practically in tears. I, too, have grown up like Elizabeth. The strip is so special to our family. We will miss knowing what happens to April as she grows up and if Elizabeth and Anthony have any children, but we will have the new-runs to keep us entertained.
Thank you!
Amy, Omaha NE
I just read an article announcing that the end of new story lines is near... and for the first time in my life, I felt the need to write a cartoonist and thank her for her work.
Like the letter below from Emmy, I wanted to say that I have grown up with Michael and Elizabeth... and have felt a connection to them that is remarkable.
I'm also close in age to Elizabeth (29), and as a child, Michael was the older brother I'd always wanted. I was blessed with a big sister- but always felt I'd missed out because I didn't have what Elizabeth did in Michael.
Like Elizabeth, I became an English teacher after college. And like Elizabeth, I left my parents' home to live in a remote community as I began my teaching career. She was my stalwart companion in this voyage. The experiences she had in her classroom were mirrored in my own.
And while I've chosen to remain in this small community rather than going home, Elizabeth and I are still sharing a path. I've begun planning my own "small wedding" to the man who is as perfect for me as Anthony is for her. I cannot wait for our day- and can only hope that our vows will be as simple and as pure and as beautiful as the ones that appeared in Sunday's strip.
Thank you, Lynn, for sharing the Patterson family with us for so many years.
Amy L, NY
Ms. Johnson: Just read the report from the Washington Post of your "RETIREMENT". As a person who has retired within the past 9 months you are to be congratulted! Retirement is the best! As for your "Patterson Family" my family has growen with your Mike and Elizabeth, my son is 35 and my daughter is 32 and I still compare the
pattersons to my family.
As long as you publish For Better or for Worse in any form-I would accept the strip as re-run without any modification from day 1.
Good Luck and enjoy your modified retirement
John A, Bensalem, PA
Aaaargh! Please say it ain't so. I heard about the strip's demise today from my wife. My one and only daily mouthful of soap opera is about to regress 30 odd years? Just when "Blandthony" finally weds Elizabeth, Grandpa takes his last gasps, and especially as April sprouts her wings. I have to disagree with the Washington Post and say that Lizardbreath is going to begin binge drinking a lot sooner than later because now we'll not be able to see how she handles Anthony's daughter. And we'll never get to see Michael and Deena's amicable divorce once their kids get past puberty. Nor Gordon becoming so successful he buys the Maple Leafs after owning 20 percent of the local car dealerships. Nor . . ., sigh!
Michael K, Fullterton CA
I just wanted to say hello. My name is Michael Patterson, I'm 29 years old and I was born April 22, 1979. My Grandfather Rae Patterson always cut your cartoons out of the paper and sent them to me as life lessons. As an adult I find it funny to look back and read all those stories one more time with an adult perspective. As a child I didn't really understand them but they are priceless to me now. Thanks for years of laughs.
Michael Patterson, Orange County CA
Dear Ms. Johnston:
I have been reading the comics for many years. While I may have considered some other strips as my favorite over the years, I have always enjoyed reading yours. Especially as I got older and the strip seemed to deal with some heavier issues, I think I began to appreciate the column that much more.
As readers of a strip, or viewers of a television show, we feel as if we have come to know and associate with the characters, even if they only exist on paper or on television. Perhaps, it is because we can see a bit of ourselves, friends, and family members in the characters.
So, when a strip ends, it is as though we are losing a piece of ourselves. Thank you for many years of enjoyment in reading your column and getting to know the Pattersons. I am looking forward to rediscovering them.
Best wishes to you as you make this change!
Jeff, St. Louis, MO
Dear Lynn -
I started reading your strip when I was 11 years old; and every where the military took my family (Dad was in the Navy), I looked for your strip in our new local paper. I've enjoyed reading the story you've been telling me for the past 28 years ... and just like the story books that I'm so fond of, I'll enjoy flipping back to page 1 with you to start all over (and see the new "old" strips as well as the ones I've missed on the first run!) Also, now I will be raising two little ones along with John and Elly!
Thank you!
Melissa, VA
Lynn,
FBorFW is wonderful. You have done a marvelous job in portraying the people (characters), warts and all. No need to apologize to those who are unhappy with a strip, you can't please everyone.
You also got it right with the animals. I still have the strip (a little tattered by now) on my refrigerator of Dixie and Edgar during the thunderstorm. We also have a Sheltie named Dixie and she reacts exactly the same way. My husband & I look just like John & Elly the following morning. It will always bring a smile to our faces.
Good job, well done. Looking forward to your next endeavor.
Mary Lou F, Plano TX
Dear Lynn.
THANK YOU SO MUCH!!
For your time and energy for bringing us the Pattersons! I remember the first time reading FBOFW when I was 15. It all started with my Dad laughing out loud at 5:30 in the morning! I had to see what would make this salt of the earth guy lose his morning grumpiness! My curiousity got the best of me and a been a fan ever since. You have helped us look at oursleves and bring awarness to issues that needed attention ( Homosexaulaity, North America Indians, and Special Needs People). I have always judge a quailty of a newspaper worth buying if your strip, and Peanuts were in the comic section.
With the end drawing near I feel like I am saying goodbye to a good neighbor that I have shared life's ups and downs, joys and sadness with. (Even a cup of coffee with in the morning with all these years!)
So Goodbye! Neighbor! Take Care! You and Your Family is in my heart!
Mark F, Kyle Texas
Oh my gosh! I just read with amazement, and enjoyment Anthony's biography tonight. It took me about an hour to read it because I hung on to every word. I have truly enjoyed reading your sister-in-law's work and wait anxiously for the updates. I love Anthony and am thrilled he and Elizabeth are married. I tell you, this comic strip is like my own little soap opera. I am addicted--I have to have my fix every day. I will miss the adult versions of Liz and Mike when you start anew. Thank you for so many years of enjoyment. I am off to order a sweatshirt from your site for my "souvenir".
Elizabeth S, north carolina, usa
Am I the only one who has cried after reading the strip every day for the last week? I can't believe that so much emotion can be stirred up by a comic strip, but over the years FBOFW has made me laugh, cry, and even worry about the characters. Lynn, I want to thank you for bringing the Paterson family and their friends into our lives for so many years. You are a truly remarkable woman to create something that touches the lives and hearts of people all over the world. God bless you.
Becky, Attleboro MA
Dear Lynn
Thank you for many years of enjoyment reading your comic strip, first thing in the morning with my first cup of coffee. The quality of the story lines and drawing were number one. Now I understand that you are stopping the story after the wedding and all I can think of is why do all the best of the comic strips have to end? Calvin and Hobbs , Farside and now you. I hope you do continue with your idea to go back and redo your early work. Your comic strip is the one bright spot in our local areas newspaper comic section. I hope I have the pleasure of reading your comic strip, first thing in the morning , for many years to come.
Rose T, Danvers, Illinois
Dear Lynn,
When I first read on Yahoo that you were ending the strip, I was needless to say,saddened and taken aback. Never have I enjoyed a comic strip as much as "FBOW". This maybe strange coming from a male, but, I really have become attached to the Patterson's like they were part of my family.
I am so glad to hear that you are not ending but re-beginning the strip with a touch of the old with a touch of the new!
Please keep up the great work and I'll be seeing you in the Funny Pages!
Joseph Z. Jr., Easton, PA
Dear Lynn/Elly,
Thanks for sharing your family's stories with me, and the rest of your readers. I have thoroughly enjoyed reading your storylines, and I have learned some valuable life lessons, too. I love the way you handle difficult situations, and manage difficult people, especially with your sense of humour and compassion. I hope my own children will learn as much as I have from you.
Thanks for everything!
Cathy M, Ontario
Lynn,
Wednesday's strip got me all teary eyed. I was just so happy Grandpa Jim was still ALIVE!
I really like him.
It was great that Elizabeth and Anthony visited him in the hospital on their wedding day. That was special.
Thanks for making your characters so loveable.
Mary B, Sherman Oaks CA
Well, normally I dont say this but:
Lynn, your comic strip has been a big part of my life for the past 10-15 years. I never thought a comic strip would be so addicting but your strips are.
Its amazing how The Patterson family is parallel to mine. All the characters may as well either be my siblings, friends, grandparents, etc etc.
The wedding you planned for Liz and Anthony was PERFECT, and I agree with most other people here: If that were my grandfather in the hospital on my wedding day, I would rush right up there to be with him, Liz and Anthony are doing the right thing by being there with him. Im sure the guests at the reception will understand.
Thank you for all your years of hard unending work and thank you so much for letting us, the readers from all over the world, be apart of your life, we will miss you tons but you and your incredible art will never be forgotten, HAVE A HAPPY RETIREMENT
Angela K, Penticton, BC, Canada
Wow! I just read in tonight's paper that you are ending your series and I actually got tears in my eyes. It feels like a very old friend is moving away. I have three children almost the ages of your children and I followed along with their progress as well as with the progress of my own. Your insight, humor and integrity was wonderful to read. When I missed a few papers when Farley passed away, I got the newspaper to fax them to me. It was prior to the internet showing your strip every day and I was determined to find out what happened.
I love the mix of how your children turned out. I too, had a child that married someone with children already and I was sure I wouldn't be available .. but I am .. and there is no difference in the children .. they are all my grandkids.
Maril C, Sacramento, CA
I have read FBorFW for years and have thoroughly enjoyed it. Your recent story line has kept me in tears every single day. You write your stories as if they are so real and most of us, if not all of us, can really relate. Today's strip touched my heart as I know how much we love our parents and grandparents. Family is the most important part of life and life is so short! Thank you from the bottom of my heart!
Sue W, Huntington Beach, CA
Dear Lynn--I just discovered this web site on a link from an article about the new direction the strip is taking. I have been an avid reader of your strip for as many years as the LA Times has carried it. Some people read it first. I, however, prefer to make it the last strip I read on the comic pages--saving the best for last like dessert.
I was first introduced to your work when I discovered your book David, We're Pregnant when I was pregnant with my son. He is now 30 years old. My daughter was born two and a half years later. In the years between the births of my children, I bought Hi Mom! Hi Dad! and Do They Ever Grow Up? I had no idea that they were now collector's items. Before writing this note, I went to my bookshelves to see if I still had the three books and I do have them. They brought me a great deal of pleasure then and now that I have pulled them off the shelf for the first time in twenty years, I will read them again and give myself the pleasure of revisting the charming people who inhabit them.
Back in 1998 my husband and I attended the UCLA/LA Times Festival of Books at which you were a panelist with other comic strip artists like Cathy Guisewhite. I thoroughly enjoyed hearing you talk about your work. Later, you were autographing your For Better or For Worse 10th Anniversary
Collection. I bought a copy and you graciously autographed it. It sits on my bookshelf with my Peanuts Jubilee and The Doonesbury Chronicles, neither of which are autographed.
I have so enjoyed your work over the years and I am pleased that you will continue with it, albeit in a sort of retro fashion. I love that your characters have aged along with readers like me. I will miss the further adventures of April, but you know what you want to do at this point in your life. You should just do it.
Thank you so much for the many years of joy and sorrow (mostly joy)that you have portrayed in your strip.
Mary in Yorba Linda, CA
Lynn,
Thank you for all the years of reading enjoyment, I have laughed and cried with the Pattersons. Enjoy your retirement, you deserve it.
Karen, Phoenix
I've enjoyed your strip for so long, and was surprised to read of the upcoming changes. Thank you for all the great stories over the past years. I wish you the best as you tackle your new challenges!
Jean S-M, Birmingham, AL
Thanks for posting Anthony's bio at last. It fills in all the gaps & answers every question posed by your readers, especialy about his failed marriage. Hopefully it will satisfy all the nay-sayers out there. Great job!
Congrats on a great strip for all these years; one that's been deeply meaningful and warm, yet still so funny. You've wrapped it up in style. Enjoy your semi-retirement with our appreciation!
Lynne, NYC
I kept waiting for a helicopter to buzz the wedding. I'm glad that it did not. I'm sorry that Jim missed the wedding, he is one of my favorite people in the strip.
Take care and keep up the excellent work.
Bill L, Villa Hills KY
Dear Lynn:
Well here I am at 12:42 AM, Thursday and am in tears after reading today's strip. Especially John's comment about a nice way to "end a story".
Thank you and your "crew" so very much for all the wonderful years. I've been with you since the very beginning and will continue to enjoy whatever you produce in the future. Just take special care and enjoy your retirement. I'm also grateful for all the books which I have begun to collect.
Cheers to you and yours!
Kiko H., Vancouver, BC
Thank you for giving us Iris. She is such a such a dear woman, and she's a wonderful role model for the way she cares so muchfor Grandpa Jim. And she's so generous and sweet in that she understands and can say out loud how much it means to her husband that Liz's wedding dress belonged to his first wife.
Cinders, Ft. Wayne TN
Dear Lynn:
Even though Elizabeth and Anthony have finely tied the knot, I find myself feeling a melancholy coming on. With your retirement comes a void for us, the fans. Without our daily "fix" of FBOFW, we will feel a sense of loss.
Thanks for all your hard work and never-ending laughs and tears throughout the years. My children are only a little younger than Michael and Elizabeth, and we have all shared in the humour and sorrow that your fictional family has undergone. We have every book that you've published, including books that you did illustrations for, even those that you took no part in their writing. You have a real God-given talent, not only in your artwork, but in your ability to maintain story arch & continuity, balanced with humour, insight, and compassion. You are my family's favourite cartoonist. And like Bill Watterson's Calvin & Hobbes, your books will be read again and again for many years and generations to come.
You are a real keeper.
With much respect and affection,
the H. family, British Columbia
A story like mine
Family members fine
reminders of how
it can be
could be
Growing up together
All trying to weather
the dance of family
of fitting
of finding
Storyteller sublime
Crafted through time
Tell me again
and leave out
nothing.
Bless you for all the good you have done and have yet to give.
Diane T, Anderson Springs CA
I grew up with For Better Or For Worse, being the same age that Michael is. Your work has been incredible, always - thank you so much for a lifetime of your stories!
Mike P, Seattle
i really enjoy reading your comic strip from day to day its really an enjoyable part of my day reading whats going on in the strip. i understand your starting over with the strip well good luck with that lynn and congrats on all your hard work it really paid off. i hope you enjoy your free time and i look forward to reading yoru start over strips there are only 3 comic i liek to read yours fbofw garfield and blondie well lynn keep up the good work
Adam, Ohio USA
Hi Lynn
I'm feeling really emotional about the end of the strip - but good on you for saying "no that's it". I've been reading it since the early 1990's and being able to access it on the internet has been a godsend! I've loved the way you've been able to move through the years without it being jarring. Also because our seasons are opposite to yours I've been able to experience summer and winter in Canada!
My cousin married a Canadian guy (he's from Gimli Manitoba) I have a huge fondness for all things Canadian.
I think Anthony & Elizabeth marrying has been wonderful. I know they're only cartoon characters but he really is the best thing for her! I think the "when you meet the person you know you're meant to marry" think clicked for them - as it did for me when I met my husband.
When my sister married she went to see my Grandmother at the hospital in all her finery so your strips this week have been very personal.
Sorry about the rambling post. Best wishes for the future and thank you for many hours of enjoyment you have given me, and all your readers, over the years.
Jane, Perth, Western Australia
I am so glad that Lynn will still be doing For Better or Worse! It was one of the 1st strips that the people actually changed and grew, as years passed! I love it! Thank you for years of enjoyment. I look forward to reading the new strips.
Peggy R, North Olmsted, Ohio
I will miss the Patterson Family continuing to move forward with 'new' story lines. I've been following since the early 80's when I became a wife and mother. It's been a trip of the best sort growing up with the Patterson's. The parallels through the years have been uncanny[including my own two daughters upcoming nuptials in Oct. and May]. I wish you peace, health and joy in 'retirement' and I will continue enjoying the Patterson's past re-done.
Regards,
A loyal fan.
Dee D, McKinney TX
I am one of the ones who is all for Anthony and Liz getting married... but I have to say I am really disappointed he storyline with Grandpa Jim turned out the way it did. Not that I would want anyone to pass away on another's wedding day, but really couldn't A&L just have had a nice wedding without the "drama" of grandpa Jim having a near death scare AGAIN????? I mean seriously let the guy pass away or just have him at the wedding without all the "drama".
Frustrated Reader, California
Thank you Lynn for this wonderful strip. Living in a place named after a legend, Sleepy Hollow, gives me a great love of good stories and extra meaning for the lives of those in stories. Elly, John, Liz, Michael, April (and you) -- touch our hopes, frustrations, fears and hearts--- sometimes even influencing the way we think.
Thanks Elly et al for sharing my morning coffee and your lives for so many years
Shelly, Sleepy Hollow N.Y.
I just wanted to say thanks for all the good work over the last 30 years and how sad I am that my favourite strip is coming to an end soon.
I will miss all the current Pattersons but at least we will be able to relieve the old strips once they are published again.
Take care and god bless you, Lynn Johnston. You are the best.
Alan B, Brampton ON
Dear Liz,
Thank you. I hope that your future endeavors bring you joy and fulfillment. As the mother of 3 kids trying to balance it all I've especially appreciated your early work this time around. The strips where Elly loses it with the kids and when she agonizes over her parenting while watching them sleep is so real. It's testimony to their timelessness that not only I but several of my girlfriends cut those out and placed them on the fridge. Not as self-flagellation, but as a reminder that we're not alone in wishing that we were kinder, more patient and more deserving of the little people with whom we've been entrusted. The fact that Elly and John eventually raised three amazing human beings gives me hope. So thanks for a model that, even if it isn't "real" in the temporal sense, is real in it's conception of what and who family is. What an amazing achievement. I hope that you realize that you have done your part to make this world a better place-good on ya!
Peace,
Mary H, Kelowna, BC
Let me add to the well wishes and congratulations to Lynn on a job well done. I have never been as emotionally invested in a comic strip as this one, which is a testament to Lynn's huge talent. I'm sure going to miss the ongoing story of the Pattersons, but it will be nice to revisit how it all began. Maybe once in a while Lynn will give us a peek at the "current" lives of the Pattersons? (please?)
Julia, Ohio
Re: Today's strip.
Well, it looks like that is it. I don't know what I am going to do...your strip is always the first thing I read in the morning. I look forward to the hybrid.
Thanks for the years of enjoyment and I hope the positive input in coffee talk assure you that you've done a good job and may the negative not find a way into your heart! Have a happy retirement!!
Cathy, Schenectady, NY
Lynn,
I have been reading all the comments left and felt a need to send one of my own. I am sad that the Patterson's story will end. I also understand that it can't go forever. I have looked at these characters as my friends for a long time. I discovered your strip at a time when my life was not terrific and was intrigued with how close to real life your story was. It has brought my mood up, mad me cry and made me laugh.
I read these last strips with tears. My grandfather gave me away at my wedding and he was just as important to me. It is a wonderful end to a beginning.
I look forward to following your "new runs," as I became a fan as an adult and missed much of your early strips.
Good luck in all you choose to do. Although I am very sad to see you go, I understand why you must.
All my best,
Stephanie T, Waynesboro, va
Lynn,
Yours is the first comic strip I read in the morning. The Pattersons feel like friends or family-I love them, worry about them, relate to them. As I seem to be close to Elly's age and married for 32 years, with two sons in their mid to early 20's, what you wrote about touched me daily.
I will miss the old strip, but look forward to your new endeavor.
Carol P, Bemidji, Minnesota
Did you ever think in a million years this many people would be writing you and pouring out their life stories? Did you ever realize how much you mean to us? You do, and I hope you feel it and know it. We love you and all your work!
Sarah M., Houston, TX
I can't believe the end is only 2 days away! Like many others I have grown up with FBoFW. I don't remember Michael and Elizabeth as very young kids, but I do remember Elly pregnant with April. And oh my, Farley dying. I still tear up if I go back and read that strip.
Thank you so much for taking us into the Patterson's world and filling our days (years) with laughter and tears. I know I will miss their day to day adventures! I do look forward to the peeks that you will give us in the future.
Thanks again!
Denise, Minot ME
The recent strips of Elizabeth and Anthony reminded me of my mom's wedding day. My brother and his wife just has a baby and couldn't make it to the wedding.. so we packed up our wedding party and visited her in the hospital to see the newest addition to our family! I know it meant alot for my sister-in-law to see us dressed up and to wish my mom and her new husband well wishes... it was also pretty funny to see everyone's looks as we walked down the halls of the hospital. We thought about waiting to have the wedding but knew that my sister-in-law would of felt worse if the wedding didn't go as planned then to of missed the ceremony herself. It was nice we could still include her and my mom's newest grandson in that day.
Love your strip - will hate to see it go. Best of luck with future plans!
Trish W, London ON
Thanks, Lynn. I have always enjoyed reading about the Patterson family. I am glad Liz finally married Anothony. They have belonged together for a long time, they just needed to find their way back to each other. I really liked how you had Anthony call Elly today. It was very thoughtful of him, I always knew that he was kind and caring. Thanks again for a wonderful strip. I have cherished every moment.
Cathy H, Memphis TN
I have a question. Why was Anthony's marriage to Terese and his marriage to Elizabeth on the same date, August 23?
Jill S, Columbus Ohio
Dear Lynn,
I am extremely sad to leave the characters I have grown to love. I know, I know they are not leaving. But I will always wonder about the family with play out in the years to come. I guess what I am trying to say is I have come to know your strip like a comfy slipper that you take for granted as always being there. So thank you, thank you for all the years and letting your fans grow to love the pattersons. I don't know how I feel about going back to the start, I love the teenage years and young adult more so than any other. Most likely because I grew up with the Pattersons. I wish you all the best and just wanted to say thank you.
Robin C, Byram, New Jersey
I can't believe the end is near. LOL I have so many clips of yours that isso close to my own kids antics.
When Elly's mom died, my dad died around the same time and my 81 year old mom has clippings on her refrigerator that helped her through the rough times.
Thank you for such a wonderful family you introduced us to. You are truly an icon.
Kris W, Wichita KS
To everyone at the For Better or Worse team:
Thank you for so many years together.
My mom and I used to read it when I was little, and when I grew up and moved out, we kept up with the Patterson family like they were our own. We still devote some time in our weekly calls to talking about what's happening in the strip and whether we agree/disagree with Patterson family member choices.
It sounds silly, but when the strip ends its "modern phase" I'll feel like I'm losing a family member. I still remember how much I cried when Farley died. I'll have many kleenex on hand this weekend.
Thanks for everything and best wishes for the next phase!
Suzanne, Washington DC
Dear Mrs. Patterson,
That is the way I would address my neighbor when I lived in Mississauga Ont.. You see, My family moved to Port Credit in 1978 and moved 2 doors down from the family in your strip. I remember when your strip started and was thinking (as was my sister, father and mother) that our "Mrs. Patterson" was the creator. We have watched that family and yours grow up simultaneously. We do know now that they are not the same, but some of the parallels are uncanny. My family moved back to the USA in 1983 and although, we miss our neighbors and do keep up with them, we feel that we can get a daily dose of them every morning when we read the funnies. My sister and I are now grown and have kids of our own and Mom is the doting grandmother we still call each other once and a while to make sure that they saw the latest strip that made us cry or laugh. Your Strip will be greatly missed by my family and several of those that I know. Thank You "Mrs. Patterson"
Clay B, Atlanta, GA USA
I felt sadness today when I read John telling Elly that it's a perfect way to end a story. But Elly reminded him that it's really not the 'end' of the story, but just the end of the day.
I have to admit I will miss the current progression of their lives.
I want to thank you for all these many years of laughter and tears.
Joy, Somerset NJ