How Baby

You know you’re finally well-rested (well… better rested than before) when your mid-afternoon nap gets interrupted by the entire household climbing into bed with you, and it’s the highlight of your winter break.

The break is over today for most families. I hope all y’all had a good new year celebration, and a restful holiday (if you were lucky enough to get one). I’ve got one more week off before I’m fully back to my day job, though I’ve been working on a new video game over the break that I should be able to announce soon, so while I still have a week ‘off’ it’s more like another week that I get the privilege of uninterrupted writing time. 🙂

This week also marks the anniversary of the traumatic loss of my friend, mentor, and boss. I hear that the body keeps the score on these things, so I’m entering the new year somewhat cautiously – something I imagine I’ll do for a few years yet, if not the rest of my life. The doldrums of the year can be triggering for a lot of people who struggle with self-harm, especially with (gestures) external circumstances these days. I don’t think it’ll filter into my comics to have a chance to say it again, so I’ll just take the time now to ask you to check in on your friends, especially the ‘strong ones.’ I’d appreciate it, for Rowan.

I don’t want to end these little chats we have on a solemn note, so these days I’ll say I’m finding comfort in moments just like the one in the comic. Take some time to find some for yourself. They really matter. And if they’re hard for you to find, I promise they’re still there. There’s good in this world we’re fighting for.