For Better or For Worse by Lynn Johnston for August 31, 2024

Poor kid.

Have to take that keg and put it behind the fence and lock it to keep those parents sober.

You’d have been better off not inviting them at all, Gordon.

Why have any alcohol?

There’s Michael’s next big scoop.

Awww, that’s so sad.

I can relate to Gordon’s dilemma. My father was an alcoholic, too. He was, unfortunately at his worst at the rehearsal dinner, where he got drunk and made a real mess of everything. The next day, at the reception, after behaving himself at church, he did okay at the reception, where we served only beer and wine to minimize his imbibing. It’s hard when a parent or, worse, both parents are alcoholics.

From Lynn’s Comments: There were few references to Gordon’s family and the kind of home he grew up in. From time to time, I gave readers a clue.

Maybe………just maybe, he wishes they wouldn’t show up—they can be a problem. I grew up with the same kind of parents—never knew what to expect. Fortunately, mine behaved themselves.

It’s sad when the children are more mature than the parents.

It is sad when the most precious gift you can ask from your parents is to attend your wedding sober.

“I may not be able to choose my Relatives, but I Can choose my Friends.”

What are the odds of that happening?

That’s so sad, but i’ve been to wedding where that was a request of the couple to family members…

Oof. I feel this. Not parents, but assorted other family. Truth is, if I ever marry they just wouldn’t be invited. That’s sad but it will be even harder on their own kids. Grateful for this strip. Sorry to be a downer.

Wishful thinking, but perhaps optimism will bring out the best.

Me, I am more of an anti-traditional rebel.

At my wedding, I want all the food to be DISORGANIZED!

For some people, that is a big ask.

I suppose Gordo’s a better person than I; I ain’t married yet, but my parents lost that privilege long ago.

Do they have to leave sober?

Gordon, you have found the perfect reason to elope.

Gordo is determined to NOT turn out like his parents…He is the best, and most grounded character in the strip.

My cousin made a similar request. Her dad had severe arthritis and he drank, mainly beer [every drunk has an excuse]. He was usually a ‘functioning’ alcoholic and held quite a good job through retirement. When my cousin was planning her wedding, she told him he couldn’t come at all if he was still drinking and he would never be allowed to visit them either. So, he stopped drinking beer. He switched to wine. He did manage to attend the wedding sober, but the bride and groom moved to the other coast and he was never invited to visit. I still can’t believe the stupidity of his wife [my aunt] and younger kids who actually bought him a wine-making kit for Christmas a couple of years later.

Or don’t show up at all.

Gordo has been a wonderful story and today’s strip again shows what a wonderful character he has.

But will they stay sober while there?

Addiction is hard, it gets real, it affects everybody. I’ve been on both sides of that road, never alcohol hard drugs Sober almost thirteen years

There was no alcohol at my wedding events either. And ABSOLUTELY NO SMOKING. I put my foot down on that one. At that time there was still smoking allowed in my work place and I was going home from the office with a headache every day. I was absolutely NOT going to have a passive-smoker headache on our wedding night.

Ooga Falrey

Rooga Falrey

Googa Falrey

Rooga Falrey

As there is zero-tolerance gun control, the way to solve the problems of Gordon’s parents is for Canada to have zero-tolerance alcohol control. Since gun prohibition works, it makes sense that alcohol prohibition will also work.

The worst part of the drinking is the fighting that follows

Way to go Gordo! Good healthy boundaries are essential for a happy marriage.

As he wheels out a beer keg.

Hey, have we ever seen Gordon’s parents? I can really only remember them being described offstage.

If they care about him, they will.

That is sad. I feel for Gordon. There is a reason my husband and I did a planned elopement and sent out announcements the morning of the wedding. We took his son and my oldest niece to be best man and maid of honor and spent 2 weeks in Hawaii. Cost about $5000 for the four of us but since both my husband and I travelled so much for work, the airline tickets and hotel rooms were on points.

when we were married i got what i wanted: her. it’s all that mattered. 45 years ago.

Come sober, leave drunk.

Ooof!

Coming sober doesn’t mean you will stay sober…. that’s half the reason my husband and I eloped!

When me and my ex husband were planning our wedding the topic of what family members we were going to invite and the reception. The groom wasn’t of age so we weren’t having alcohol at the reception, I was of age but didn’t drink so it wasn’t a issue with me. Out of my Mom’s 4 brothers and sister I only wanted to invite her sister because she was my favorite aunt and Mom asked why only her and I said that one brother just got out of jail for the 2nd time due to him molesting his 3 year old step-daughter ( he served 7 years for the sexual assault and then got put back in for 3 years for getting caught going to her school and watching her when he wasn’t allowed to be anywhere near she was) and I wasn’t taking any chances with their being kids there, and the other two brothers drank to much, one was a true alcholic who was drunk most of the time, and we ended up in a fight about it because Mom didn’t think it was fair to only invite 1 of the 4 and I told her it was our wedding and our decision but she pointed out that she and Dad were paying for the reception so she had a say so in it, which we didn’t agree. We didn’t have to deal with it anyways because we had to move our wedding up and didn’t have a reception.

Timely comic with what happened to the Gaudreau family :(

Ouch, Stand tall Gordo, we’re with ya!

“Cheque”?? Are we in Montreal?

One simple Panel 4 hits like a sledgehammer