Lynn's Comments: My folks went out of their way to make sure that Aaron had something fun to do every day. And.... typical kid.... he figured this was the way life should be--ALL the time!
Lynn's Comments: The habit of bringing home gifts when I travel has been handed down to my children. Now whenever they travel, I can't wait to say, "What did you bring me?"
Lynn's Comments: My parents lived on the other side of the country from my brother and me. When their health began to deteriorate, we both tried to see them as often as possible but it was hard to make time for a 5-hour flight. We felt helpless and guilty for not being there for them, but we did have some wonderful caregivers for whom we will be forever grateful.
Lynn's Comments: I've spent a great deal of time now visiting my aunt in a senior's residence, and it's clear to me that when you are ready to have a small, secure home with medical help and regular prepared meals, you are definitely ready! The one thing my aunt is saddened by is the strangeness of being surrounded by very old people all the time! The only young people are staff members and visitors. When I take her into town for a change of scene, she will say, "This is normal! Everyone is here...young, old, and in between!"
Lynn's Comments: This was done at the time when my parents were leaving their house of many, many years. My mother had more plastic containers than anyone you can imagine.
Lynn's Comments: My parents never did sell their house and move to a smaller place. By the time they were thinking of this, Mom was too sick to move and Dad wanted her to stay in their old, familiar surroundings. What happened in the strip is what should have happened; how their last years should have been. I was able to hold onto both of them just a little longer in my make-believe comic strip world.
Lynn's Comments: Talking about favourite places in and around Vancouver was a lot of fun. I'd been told by editors that I shouldn't be "too Canadian" because the majority of my readers were American. Still, I went ahead because this is what I know! The result was a series of letters from readers talking about where they had been in BC and what they liked best about the scenery, the coast and the culture.
Lynn's Comments: When I was around 30, I asked my mother, "When can you say you have truly grown up?" She replied, "Never." When her dad died, she looked up from writing the obituary and said, "I'm an orphan, now." She was over 65.