For Better or For Worse

So, I read an AP story this weekend that left me a little sad. I had heard that my much-loved comic strip "For Better or For Worse" was wrapping up. It has always been one of the best written comic as it has been very real, with the characters growing and changing and maturing. That's so rare in the comic world. But even more so, it was such a sentimental strip with many strips just being heart warming than funny.

I'm not sad that she wrapped it up as it's gone for 29 years. And the final Sunday strip wrapped up story lines and flash forwarded to highlight what happens to the characters in the future. Now, it goes back to its origins telling the story when the 'grown kids' are back to being just young 'uns and will mix new strips drawn in the old style with recycled ones.

I'm fine with that.

But at the end of the story, it mentioned that Lynn Johnson, the cartoonist, had split from her husband after more than 30 years. That depressed me. Perhaps it's because I always felt the comic mirrored their life, and while it wasn't always perfect, it always seemed to 'make it'. In a weird way, it was inspiration that good will prevail and faithfulness and family life can succeed.

Now it feels like the strip and its senitimentalism -- was a bit staged.

As a bit of a comparison, perhaps that's why we hear of stories of people who want us as LDS to succeed in keeping our standards. Why people sometimes WON'T let us compromise our standard because it provides hope to them vicariously that while they may not be able to live the standard or have the faithful family life, it still exists in society and is achievable.

But when someone you respect and admire falls, it makes you feel just a touch if anyone can make it....speaking more on the LDS person remaining faithful than simply my personal feeling to see that a cartoonist's marriage failed.

Not sure if this all makes sense....but then that's why I like to blog....I don't have to be completely articulate and can just let it be a first draft of my thoughts, so to speak.


Mark