Lynn's Comments: I had a lot of fun with Michael and Martha. Through them I went back to my own giddy and hopeless schoolyard relationships—the ones that make you as high as a kite, but never quite get off the ground!
Lynn's Comments: Our dog Willy would wait until we had finished eating before he dug into his kibble. If there was the smallest chance of leftovers, he wanted to be sure he had room. I did this strip with compassion and understanding—I wouldn't want to eat the same thing everyday either!
Lynn's Comments: My parents insisted we thank (in writing) everyone who sent us a gift. At the time, we thought it was a miserable waste of our time. Now, I know it was an investment in the relationship between myself and the kind person who had been thoughtful enough to send a gift.
Lynn's Comments: I often used the strip in serious ways. Here, I was telling young people that the words "thank you" are never out of style. It was fun to hide a "lecture" in a series of drawings, dialogue and punch lines.
Lynn's Comments: I was about seven and my brother was five. We had been having one of our knock-down, drag out fights. Mom was in the basement and either ignored us or couldn't hear just how angry the fight had become.
Our one bathroom, which had a locking door, became a refuge. If you could get in there first, you were safe. You had to slam the door to get it to lock. I ran into the bathroom, slammed the door and Alan screamed. Thinking he was just screaming with rage, I continued to shove the door shut not knowing that his finger had been caught in the door jamb. By the time I realized there was something wrong, I had seriously injured his finger. Mom rushed us to the hospital where he was given a shot and had his finger bound with gauze. It wasn't broken, but his knuckle was severely bruised and the skin had split with the pressure. I was so sorry. Even though Alan accepted my apology, I've never forgotten the incident and I have never forgiven myself!