Funky is not funny. Neither are the feelings of pain, anxiety, fear, loss, etc. that his comic elicits. The last thing I read about Tom Batiuk (in his own words) is that he believes we live in a cold and uncaring universe. I’m sorry he believes that. I’m sorry that Lisa’s husband, who by clinging to past, is not living today. (Honey, it’s been 10 years since Lisa died! We don’t forget the loved ones we’ve lost, but the brave among us, move forward and find love again.) And, I’m even more sorry that Lisa’s husband is passing that behavior on to their daughter…through his actions. I’m not saying we shouldn’t remember…we should.

With this coming new year, my 75-year-old mother will start her 3rd year of fighting Inflammatory Breast Cancer (stage 4). My younger brother (who was my best friend growing up as Air Force brats and in a chaotic, alcoholic home) will start his 4th year of fighting colon cancer (again, stage 4). I don’t know what else the new year will bring. My marriage died years ago. (Can it be resurrected? It can, but it will take 2 people…and God.) Menopause, being a caretaker, loving people whose timeline to meet the Lord appears to be more compressed than mine, job-hunting, etc., take their toll on my mind, body, and spirit some days. (And, I’ll tell ya, estrogen has never been my friend! Someone told me menopause lasts even longer than 7 years. I hope not!)

And speaking of hope, I have hope for the coming year. I believe in miracles with my whole heart. I believe in love…real love. I admit that I am an incurable romantic, but romance fades…and a deeper, more spiritual love takes root…or the marriage dies. Some people start their marriage with a spiritual connectedness; I didn’t. But I have learned that the only abiding love is God’s.

Maybe Tom Batiuk only knows God’s love through other people (perhaps his wife who stood by him during his own battle with cancer). My prayer for him is that God would touch his heart and allow him to see how much He loves him–and that this is not a cold and uncaring universe. God brings people into our lives for seasons and earthly lifetimes. But Heaven…it’s forever, baby. And actually, we can (and do) have a piece of Heaven on earth.

Today is Christmas…a day when the majority of us celebrate the birth of our Savior. And, it’s okay that others worship differently…or not at all. We still love ya…we don’t have to believe the same thing. This is America…we have that freedom. I normally cry at Christmas (as I have been doing this morning) and I am not even sure why. It’s probably a combination of things. So, I guess I’ll just go with it. Cry, that is. I’ll cry a little for my personal loses (both past and anticipated–a bad habit of mine) and pains; I’ll cry for your loses that you’ve shared in this blog; I’ll cry for the wrongs that I want to right in this world, but can’t. Then, I’ll stop. And, I’ll have joy in my heart again. Because today is Christmas…and that gives me hope.

I hope cartoonists will stop spreading pain, death, gloom, doom, despair, real-life suffering, etc., in their strips. Honey, I got enough of that in my real life. (Again, that’s my hope…doesn’t have to be yours. If you like reliving old hurts, more power to ya!) I read comics to make me smile…and so many of them don’t. Let us get back to the basics if we must and look at the definition of comics. I find nothing funny about cancer, strokes, etc., that are in comics today. (BTW, I do find some political cartoons funny, but they are in the right section of the paper–not in the comics!) I think I’ll write my newspaper and tell them I wish they’d stop carrying those. (I can do that because this is America. And if enough people think the same as I, then we can get some of those cartoons that are not funny out of the comic strip. And, that might get the cartoonist to listen since it would impact their pocket books. If not, that’s okay. I’ve only been reading one or two strips out of the whole page in our paper anyway. All it does is waste paper (but, I won’t go there today). This is way too long anyway…if anyone’s still reading. But hey, I’m a writer…that’s what I do. I write. And, I’m doing this for free…it’s not costing you anything. You can read or not…your choice. But, I pay for my newspaper and what’s in it. Do you?

Merry Christmas. To God be the glory and may He bless you, yours, and the USA. Love, Cathy B.

ROTFLOL

Thanks and your welcome! :)

Many people (the majority of those who have commented on this website) have found support and comfort from Funky Winkerbean and from talking about it.

If you don’t want to be hopeful, that’s your choice, but choosing instead despair, misery, bitterness and victimhood is something I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy.

Finding those “things that are funny” honestly often just takes a change in attitude. Even when my husband was on his death bed last year and I was sick to death from chemo in side-by-side twin hospital beds, my husband and I laughed together. If that makes me “sick,” then I thank God for it.

I sincerely wish you all the best.