Difference between revisions of "3172: Fifteen Years"

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==Explanation==
 
==Explanation==
−
{{incomplete|This page was created recently. Don't remove this notice too soon.}}
+
{{incomplete|This page was created by a STILL CANCER-FREE BOT. Don't remove this notice too soon.}}
−
[[Randall]]'s then-fiancée, now wife was diagnosed with cancer in late 2010. This is a matter he has discussed in the comic [[:Category:Cancer|multiple times before]], with Randall being depicted as Cueball and his wife as Megan. At this comic's release, it had been 15 years since her diagnosis and treatments.
+
[[Randall]]'s then-fiancée (now wife) was diagnosed with cancer in late 2010. This is a matter he has discussed in the comic [[:Category:Cancer|multiple times before]], with [[Randall]] being depicted as [[Cueball]] and his wife as [[Megan]]. At this comic's release, it had been 15 years since her diagnosis and treatments.
  
−
This comic is a continuation of [[1141: Two Years]], [[1928: Seven Years]], and [[2386: Ten Years]], which are shown in the first 24 panels, slightly grayed out.
+
This comic continues previous comics in [[:Category:X Years|the series]] – [[1141: Two Years]], [[1928: Seven Years]], and [[2386: Ten Years]] – the initial parts of which are shown in the first 20 panels, which are grayed-out. These take us through the initial diagnosis and inability to imagine what future might be, into concerns about it potentially recurring, and up to enjoying ten years of life together that they weren't sure they would have.
 +
 
 +
After some new panels marking more significant non-cancer-related events from the most recent five years of their life, Megan announces some potentially concerning-sounding symptoms she's experiencing. However, the punchline is that these are just the signs of growing old,  which Cueball is experiencing too. This is good news, considering the serious medical scares they lived through.
 +
 
 +
The title text continues that ending with a play on a common conversation topic. Normally someone rhetorically asks "Want to feel old?" and then follows it with a description of a difference the conversants have with the younger generation, or how long it's been since some significant event they both experienced, as Randall has done in [[:Category:Comics to make one feel old|several previous comics]]. This is meant to make the other person feel bad about their age. In this case, though, the question is taken literally, with a simple "Yes" response to indicate that feeling old is better than being dead and they are happy to be alive and to have had the time they have.
 +
 
 +
The finality of this new installment suggests that it may be the last in the series, as it is solely related to Randall's wife's recovery from cancer.
 +
 
 +
===The new panels===
 +
 
 +
The first of the new panels shows Randall and his wife in bed, with Randall reading her {{w|Tove Jansson}}'s ''{{w|Moominland Midwinter}}''. He wants to stop because they need to get to sleep, she convinces him to read one more chapter. It didn't take much arm-twisting, her argument was simply a grunt. The choice of this particular book, which deals with the adventures of someone who should really be sleeping, might be meaningful for one or more of several reasons.
 +
 
 +
The next panel appears to depict the {{w|Covid-19 pandemic}}. [[Hairy]], Megan, Cueball, [[Ponytail]], and [[White Hat]] are all wearing masks and looking at graphs showing the progression of the virus. Happily, they both survived this.
 +
 
 +
The next panel shows them feeding birds. It's apparently winter, since Randall is wearing a knit cap and they're both wearing scarves. There are three birds around Randall, including one perched on his head; there's one bird that has landed on Megan's phone. Randall concludes that the birds like his birdseed more than hers. Megan can't figure out how to take a picture of her bird, since the phone's camera can't be pointed at the phone itself.
 +
 
 +
The next panel shows them on a kayaking expedition in a pond or river surrounded by cattails and a dense forest. They're kayaking past lily pads and turtles, with clear skies and birds above.
 +
 
 +
The next panel shows Randall in a bed, recovering from appendicitis. He has previously mentioned getting an appendectomy in [[2508: Circumappendiceal Somectomy]], in August, 2021. His wife is enjoying the shoe being on the other foot, going overboard taking care of him after a major medical procedure, but Randall tries to downplay the severity of his procedure.
 +
 
 +
The next four panels show them driving. They notice something, pull over, and get out of the car. The panel after this shows them viewing a spectacular {{w|aurora borealis}}. 2025 has been a {{w|solar maximum}}, producing a number of auroras that have been visible at unusually low latitudes, including Massachusetts, where Randall lives.
 +
 
 +
The final four panels show them sitting and talking in a field. Randall is lying down, his wife is sitting against a tree. They're celebrating her being cancer-free 15 years after her diagnosis and enjoying growing old together.
  
 
==Transcript==
 
==Transcript==
 
{{incomplete transcript|Don't remove this notice too soon.}}
 
{{incomplete transcript|Don't remove this notice too soon.}}
 +
 +
:[The panels from the older strips are presented in gray.]
 +
 +
'''From [[1141: Two Years]]'''
 +
:[Randall (drawn as Cueball) and Randall's fiancée (drawn as Megan) sit on a bed, Randall's fiancée is talking on the phone. The person she is talking to, a doctor holding a clipboard, is shown inset.]
 +
:Randall's fiancée: Oh god.
 +
 +
:[Randall and Randall's fiancée sit together while Randall's fiancée, now bald, is receiving chemotherapy. They are both on their laptops.]
 +
:IV pump: ... Beeep ... Beeep ... Beeep ...
 +
 +
:[Randall and Randall's fiancée (who is wearing a knit cap) are paddling a kayak against a scenic mountain backdrop.]
 +
 +
:[Randall and Randall's fiancée sit at a table, staring at a cell phone. There is a clock on the wall. Her head is stubbly.]
 +
:Randall's fiancée: How long can it take to read a scan!?
 +
 +
:[Randall and Randall's fiancée are back at the hospital again, Randall's fiancée receiving chemo. They are playing Scrabble.]
 +
:Randall: "Zarg" isn't a word.
 +
:Randall's fiancée: But ''caaaancer.''
 +
:Randall: ...Ok, fine.
 +
 +
:[Randall and Randall's fiancée (wearing a knit cap) are listening to a Cueball-like friend. A large thought bubble is above their heads and it obscures the friends talk. The text below, split in three is the only part there can be no doubt about:]
 +
:Friend: So next year you should come visit us up in the mounta
 +
::ea
 +
::and
 +
:Randall and Randall's fiancée (thinking): '''"Next year"'''
 +
 +
:[Randall and Randall's fiancée are getting married, with a heart above their heads. Randall's wife's hair is growing back.]
 +
 +
:[Randall and Randall's wife (wearing a knit cap) stand on a beach, watching a whale jump out of water.]
 +
:''Fwoosh''
 +
 +
'''From [[1928: Seven Years]]'''
 +
 +
:[Randall and Randall's wife (with her hair noticeably longer) are walking through a forest.]
 +
 +
:[Randall's wife is sitting down, not in the forest anymore.]
 +
:Randall's wife: My toe hurts and I found a report of a case in which toe pain was an early sign of cancer spreading.
 +
:Randall: Wait—didn’t you stub your toe yesterday?
 +
:Randall's wife: Yes, but what if this is unrelated?
 +
 +
:[Randall and his wife are going spelunking. The guide is gesturing deeper into the cave while Randall and his wife are climbing down.]
 +
 +
:[Randall's wife stands on a rock above an alligator in a swamp, photographing the alligator.  Randall is on a balcony behind safety railings.]
 +
:Randall: When they estimated your survival odds, I think they made some optimistic assumptions about your hobbies.
 +
 +
:[Randall's wife sits on an examination bed, listening to a doctor holding a clipboard.]
 +
:Doctor: This is probably nothing.
 +
:Doctor: But given your history, we should do a full scan.
 +
:Doctor: We'll call with the results in a few days.  Try not to worry about it until then!
 +
 +
:[Randall and his wife stand above a deep pond full of fish and other objects.  Randall's wife is piloting a wired underwater camera with lights.]
 +
 +
:[Randall and his wife are standing next to each other.  Randall's wife has shoulder-length hair covering most of her face.]
 +
:Randall's wife: Hard to believe—six years ago, I was bald.  But today, after a long struggle, I finally look like the little girl from ''The Ring''.
 +
:Randall: That's, uhh... good?
 +
:Randall's wife: ''Hissssss''
 +
 +
:[A line of six people, including Randall and his wife, stand and watch the solar eclipse.]
 +
 +
'''From [[2386: Ten Years]]''':
 +
:[Randall and his wife are sitting in a room with five bunnies sitting around and on them. The Poster on the wall reads: Rabbit rescue.]
 +
:Randall: Do you think they're socialized enough?
 +
:Randall's wife: This one might need one more head pat.
 +
 +
:[Randall is running and pushing his wife on a hand cart.]
 +
:Someone off-panel: Has anyone seen the hand cart?
 +
:Randall's wife: Wheee!
 +
 +
:[Randall and his wife walks up hill with snowy mountains near by and in the background. his wife is gesturing to something ahead of them.]
 +
 +
:[A large dark panel, to the right of the previous three, to the left in two rows. Randall and his wife sits, leaning back on their hands looking up, at the end of a pier going into a lake. The end is broader and they sit to each side of the middle of the pier. It is night and behind the lake there is a forest of pine trees. Above the three is a clear starlit night sky with hundreds of stars and the band of the Milky Way clearly visible. The trees and some of the stars are reflected in the water of the lake, distorted by the movements of the water. There is a box with the words "Ten Years" in the center of the image.]
 +
 +
'''[From here to the end of the strip are new panels, drawn in the usual black rather than grayed out, except one panel drawn in inverted color.]'''
 +
 +
:[Randall and his wife are cuddling in their bed together. Randall is presumably reading from the book he is holding in his hand, {{w|Moominland Midwinter}}.]
 +
:Randall's wife: One more chapter?
 +
:Randall: Don't we both have to get up early tomorrow?
 +
:Randall's wife: ''Nnnnnggggh''
 +
:Randall: Sure, good point.
 +
 +
:[Randall and his wife are walking through a city. In the background is Hairy, Ponytail, and White Hat. Everyone is wearing a face mask and looking on their cellphones. On the phone are various graphs of COVID-19 statistics.]]
 +
 +
:[Randall is wearing a beanie and a scarf, while his wife is wearing a matching scarf. Randall is holding out his hand to feed birds birdseed, while his wife is holding a cellphone with a bird on it.]
 +
:Randall: Hah! They like '''''my''''' seeds best.
 +
:Randall's wife: Wait, how do I take a picture of this one?
 +
 +
:[Randall and his wife are kayaking in a river. There are 3 fluffy clouds in the sky and 6 birds. A forest grows on the riverbank, which is partially covered by reeds. There are lily pads on the river and a small turtle is on one of them.]
 +
 +
:[Randall is lying in bed with his head propped up by 3 pillows, facing his wife. She is holding a large pile of items in her hands: a takeout box, a pillow, two blankets, a pill box, and a mug.]
 +
:Randall's wife: I brought you honey lemon tea, more pillows, a cinnamon roll, Tylenol, another blanket, a—
 +
:Randall: It was just appendicitis, I'm really—
 +
:Randall's wife: '''It is my turn to take care of you and I'm going to do it right!'''
 +
 +
:[Randall and his wife are sitting in their car, still and in shock. Randall is in the driver's seat.]::
 +
 +
:[Randall and his wife are still sitting in the same position in their car.]
 +
:Randall's wife: Oh my god.
 +
:Randall: Oh my god.
 +
 +
:[The car is moving quickly and gravel can be seen bouncing up behind the car, as well as exhaust.]
 +
:Randall's wife: Pull over!
 +
:Randall: I am!
 +
 +
:[The car has been parked and Randall and his wife are scrambling to get out of the car.]
 +
 +
:[Randall and his wife are standing by the edge of a lake. The color is inverted, with the background geography black and their bodies white. A beautiful aurora of reds and greens is spread across the night sky.]
 +
 +
:[Randall's wife is leaning against a tree and Randall is lying down on the grass looking up towards the sky.]
 +
:Randall's wife: Fifteen years. No signs of cancer.
 +
 +
:[Zoom in of Randall's wife's face.]
 +
:Randall's wife: I '''''am''''' having some weird symptoms. Joint pain. Fatigue. I think I'm losing my close-up vision.
 +
:Off panel voice: Yeah. Me too.
 +
 +
:[Zoom out, back to the original panel with the tree on the hill. Randall's wife is facing down towards Randall.]
 +
:Randall: I think we're getting old.
 +
 +
:[Randall's wife is looking forward again.]
 +
:Randall's wife: I guess that's okay.
 +
:Randall: It's all I wanted.
  
 
{{comic discussion}}<noinclude>
 
{{comic discussion}}<noinclude>
 +
 +
 +
[[Category:Comics with color]]
 +
[[Category:Cancer]]
 +
[[Category:X Years]]
 +
[[Category:Comics featuring Randall Munroe]]
 +
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
 +
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
 +
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]
 +
[[Category:Comics featuring Hairy]]
 +
[[Category:Comics featuring White Hat]]
 +
[[Category:Large drawings]]

Latest revision as of 12:03, 27 November 2025

Fifteen Years
"Want to feel old?" "Yes."
Title text: "Want to feel old?" "Yes."

    Explanation[edit]

    Ambox warning blue construction.svg This is one of 52 incomplete explanations:
    This page was created by a STILL CANCER-FREE BOT. Don't remove this notice too soon. If you can fix this issue, edit the page!

    Randall's then-fiancée (now wife) was diagnosed with cancer in late 2010. This is a matter he has discussed in the comic multiple times before, with Randall being depicted as Cueball and his wife as Megan. At this comic's release, it had been 15 years since her diagnosis and treatments.

    This comic continues previous comics in the series – 1141: Two Years, 1928: Seven Years, and 2386: Ten Years – the initial parts of which are shown in the first 20 panels, which are grayed-out. These take us through the initial diagnosis and inability to imagine what future might be, into concerns about it potentially recurring, and up to enjoying ten years of life together that they weren't sure they would have.

    After some new panels marking more significant non-cancer-related events from the most recent five years of their life, Megan announces some potentially concerning-sounding symptoms she's experiencing. However, the punchline is that these are just the signs of growing old, which Cueball is experiencing too. This is good news, considering the serious medical scares they lived through.

    The title text continues that ending with a play on a common conversation topic. Normally someone rhetorically asks "Want to feel old?" and then follows it with a description of a difference the conversants have with the younger generation, or how long it's been since some significant event they both experienced, as Randall has done in several previous comics. This is meant to make the other person feel bad about their age. In this case, though, the question is taken literally, with a simple "Yes" response to indicate that feeling old is better than being dead and they are happy to be alive and to have had the time they have.

    The finality of this new installment suggests that it may be the last in the series, as it is solely related to Randall's wife's recovery from cancer.

    The new panels[edit]

    The first of the new panels shows Randall and his wife in bed, with Randall reading her Tove Jansson's Moominland Midwinter. He wants to stop because they need to get to sleep, she convinces him to read one more chapter. It didn't take much arm-twisting, her argument was simply a grunt. The choice of this particular book, which deals with the adventures of someone who should really be sleeping, might be meaningful for one or more of several reasons.

    The next panel appears to depict the Covid-19 pandemic. Hairy, Megan, Cueball, Ponytail, and White Hat are all wearing masks and looking at graphs showing the progression of the virus. Happily, they both survived this.

    The next panel shows them feeding birds. It's apparently winter, since Randall is wearing a knit cap and they're both wearing scarves. There are three birds around Randall, including one perched on his head; there's one bird that has landed on Megan's phone. Randall concludes that the birds like his birdseed more than hers. Megan can't figure out how to take a picture of her bird, since the phone's camera can't be pointed at the phone itself.

    The next panel shows them on a kayaking expedition in a pond or river surrounded by cattails and a dense forest. They're kayaking past lily pads and turtles, with clear skies and birds above.

    The next panel shows Randall in a bed, recovering from appendicitis. He has previously mentioned getting an appendectomy in 2508: Circumappendiceal Somectomy, in August, 2021. His wife is enjoying the shoe being on the other foot, going overboard taking care of him after a major medical procedure, but Randall tries to downplay the severity of his procedure.

    The next four panels show them driving. They notice something, pull over, and get out of the car. The panel after this shows them viewing a spectacular aurora borealis. 2025 has been a solar maximum, producing a number of auroras that have been visible at unusually low latitudes, including Massachusetts, where Randall lives.

    The final four panels show them sitting and talking in a field. Randall is lying down, his wife is sitting against a tree. They're celebrating her being cancer-free 15 years after her diagnosis and enjoying growing old together.

    Transcript[edit]

    Ambox warning green construction.svg This is one of 27 incomplete transcripts:
    Don't remove this notice too soon. If you can fix this issue, edit the page!
    [The panels from the older strips are presented in gray.]

    From 1141: Two Years

    [Randall (drawn as Cueball) and Randall's fiancée (drawn as Megan) sit on a bed, Randall's fiancée is talking on the phone. The person she is talking to, a doctor holding a clipboard, is shown inset.]
    Randall's fiancée: Oh god.
    [Randall and Randall's fiancée sit together while Randall's fiancée, now bald, is receiving chemotherapy. They are both on their laptops.]
    IV pump: ... Beeep ... Beeep ... Beeep ...
    [Randall and Randall's fiancée (who is wearing a knit cap) are paddling a kayak against a scenic mountain backdrop.]
    [Randall and Randall's fiancée sit at a table, staring at a cell phone. There is a clock on the wall. Her head is stubbly.]
    Randall's fiancée: How long can it take to read a scan!?
    [Randall and Randall's fiancée are back at the hospital again, Randall's fiancée receiving chemo. They are playing Scrabble.]
    Randall: "Zarg" isn't a word.
    Randall's fiancée: But caaaancer.
    Randall: ...Ok, fine.
    [Randall and Randall's fiancée (wearing a knit cap) are listening to a Cueball-like friend. A large thought bubble is above their heads and it obscures the friends talk. The text below, split in three is the only part there can be no doubt about:]
    Friend: So next year you should come visit us up in the mounta
    ea
    and
    Randall and Randall's fiancée (thinking): "Next year"
    [Randall and Randall's fiancée are getting married, with a heart above their heads. Randall's wife's hair is growing back.]
    [Randall and Randall's wife (wearing a knit cap) stand on a beach, watching a whale jump out of water.]
    Fwoosh

    From 1928: Seven Years

    [Randall and Randall's wife (with her hair noticeably longer) are walking through a forest.]
    [Randall's wife is sitting down, not in the forest anymore.]
    Randall's wife: My toe hurts and I found a report of a case in which toe pain was an early sign of cancer spreading.
    Randall: Wait—didn’t you stub your toe yesterday?
    Randall's wife: Yes, but what if this is unrelated?
    [Randall and his wife are going spelunking. The guide is gesturing deeper into the cave while Randall and his wife are climbing down.]
    [Randall's wife stands on a rock above an alligator in a swamp, photographing the alligator. Randall is on a balcony behind safety railings.]
    Randall: When they estimated your survival odds, I think they made some optimistic assumptions about your hobbies.
    [Randall's wife sits on an examination bed, listening to a doctor holding a clipboard.]
    Doctor: This is probably nothing.
    Doctor: But given your history, we should do a full scan.
    Doctor: We'll call with the results in a few days. Try not to worry about it until then!
    [Randall and his wife stand above a deep pond full of fish and other objects. Randall's wife is piloting a wired underwater camera with lights.]
    [Randall and his wife are standing next to each other. Randall's wife has shoulder-length hair covering most of her face.]
    Randall's wife: Hard to believe—six years ago, I was bald. But today, after a long struggle, I finally look like the little girl from The Ring.
    Randall: That's, uhh... good?
    Randall's wife: Hissssss
    [A line of six people, including Randall and his wife, stand and watch the solar eclipse.]

    From 2386: Ten Years:

    [Randall and his wife are sitting in a room with five bunnies sitting around and on them. The Poster on the wall reads: Rabbit rescue.]
    Randall: Do you think they're socialized enough?
    Randall's wife: This one might need one more head pat.
    [Randall is running and pushing his wife on a hand cart.]
    Someone off-panel: Has anyone seen the hand cart?
    Randall's wife: Wheee!
    [Randall and his wife walks up hill with snowy mountains near by and in the background. his wife is gesturing to something ahead of them.]
    [A large dark panel, to the right of the previous three, to the left in two rows. Randall and his wife sits, leaning back on their hands looking up, at the end of a pier going into a lake. The end is broader and they sit to each side of the middle of the pier. It is night and behind the lake there is a forest of pine trees. Above the three is a clear starlit night sky with hundreds of stars and the band of the Milky Way clearly visible. The trees and some of the stars are reflected in the water of the lake, distorted by the movements of the water. There is a box with the words "Ten Years" in the center of the image.]

    [From here to the end of the strip are new panels, drawn in the usual black rather than grayed out, except one panel drawn in inverted color.]

    [Randall and his wife are cuddling in their bed together. Randall is presumably reading from the book he is holding in his hand, Moominland Midwinter.]
    Randall's wife: One more chapter?
    Randall: Don't we both have to get up early tomorrow?
    Randall's wife: Nnnnnggggh
    Randall: Sure, good point.
    [Randall and his wife are walking through a city. In the background is Hairy, Ponytail, and White Hat. Everyone is wearing a face mask and looking on their cellphones. On the phone are various graphs of COVID-19 statistics.]]
    [Randall is wearing a beanie and a scarf, while his wife is wearing a matching scarf. Randall is holding out his hand to feed birds birdseed, while his wife is holding a cellphone with a bird on it.]
    Randall: Hah! They like my seeds best.
    Randall's wife: Wait, how do I take a picture of this one?
    [Randall and his wife are kayaking in a river. There are 3 fluffy clouds in the sky and 6 birds. A forest grows on the riverbank, which is partially covered by reeds. There are lily pads on the river and a small turtle is on one of them.]
    [Randall is lying in bed with his head propped up by 3 pillows, facing his wife. She is holding a large pile of items in her hands: a takeout box, a pillow, two blankets, a pill box, and a mug.]
    Randall's wife: I brought you honey lemon tea, more pillows, a cinnamon roll, Tylenol, another blanket, a—
    Randall: It was just appendicitis, I'm really—
    Randall's wife: It is my turn to take care of you and I'm going to do it right!
    [Randall and his wife are sitting in their car, still and in shock. Randall is in the driver's seat.]::
    [Randall and his wife are still sitting in the same position in their car.]
    Randall's wife: Oh my god.
    Randall: Oh my god.
    [The car is moving quickly and gravel can be seen bouncing up behind the car, as well as exhaust.]
    Randall's wife: Pull over!
    Randall: I am!
    [The car has been parked and Randall and his wife are scrambling to get out of the car.]
    [Randall and his wife are standing by the edge of a lake. The color is inverted, with the background geography black and their bodies white. A beautiful aurora of reds and greens is spread across the night sky.]
    [Randall's wife is leaning against a tree and Randall is lying down on the grass looking up towards the sky.]
    Randall's wife: Fifteen years. No signs of cancer.
    [Zoom in of Randall's wife's face.]
    Randall's wife: I am having some weird symptoms. Joint pain. Fatigue. I think I'm losing my close-up vision.
    Off panel voice: Yeah. Me too.
    [Zoom out, back to the original panel with the tree on the hill. Randall's wife is facing down towards Randall.]
    Randall: I think we're getting old.
    [Randall's wife is looking forward again.]
    Randall's wife: I guess that's okay.
    Randall: It's all I wanted.

    comment.png  Add comment      new topic.png  Create topic (use sparingly)     refresh discuss.png  Refresh 

    Discussion

    Part of a series:

    --Pgn674 (talk) 21:28, 24 November 2025 (UTC)

    Category:X Years. 64.201.132.210 22:03, 24 November 2025 (UTC)

    "Growing old is a fabulous alternative to death." 85.255.235.101 21:30, 24 November 2025 (UTC)

    OH MY GOD THIS IS SO SWEET EEEEEEEEEE. So happy for you Randall! <3 42.book.addictTalk to me! 21:36, 24 November 2025 (UTC)

    this made me, too, tear up - Vaedez (talk) 00:22, 25 November 2025 (UTC)
    Me too - love it. I do feel old but I'm old now, so it's better cause the alternative... --Kynde (talk) 08:49, 25 November 2025 (UTC)
    Honestly! Hands-down one of the best series of comics Randall's made. I can't believe I got to see this! RadiantRainwing (talk) 19:02, 25 November 2025 (UTC)

    Growing old ... together. 64.201.132.210 21:59, 24 November 2025 (UTC)

    The paragraph about the title text could use a reference to the series of comics of the form "Students graduating this year have never...". I'm not sure how to find them. Barmar (talk) 22:11, 24 November 2025 (UTC)

    I added a link to what I think is the right category. It might be a little too broad though. 2601:281:C802:9170:0:0:0:4150 01:53, 25 November 2025 (UTC)

    Just. The. Cutest. This is an ideal relationship.--Maxcodes (talk) 22:32, 24 November 2025 (UTC)

    I love being reminded I’m (pretty dang sure I’m) going to die alone, yaaaaaay 2600:4040:12A0:E200:D1D1:1F63:C1A:31F2 23:05, 24 November 2025 (UTC)

    Please don't sell yourself short! Being without a romantic relationship doesn't have to mean being alone <3. You have time to develop deep friendships if you find out how! 45.42.74.249 15:45, 26 November 2025 (UTC)

    yay they have survived Mathmaster (talk)

    As John Lennon once said, “Grow old along with me.” KelOfTheStars! (talk) 00:19, 25 November 2025 (UTC)

    Actually, that was Robert Browning in his poem Rabbi Ben Ezra. --2A00:23CC:D248:8901:9DA0:24CB:6AE7:BB09 09:01, 27 November 2025 (UTC)

    This weekend, as well as today, I've been quite sick. This was a much-needed boost. <3 love ya, Randall. --DollarStoreBa'alConverse 02:28, 25 November 2025 (UTC)

    This might be my favorite xkcd comic of all time. 68.2.204.250 03:02, 25 November 2025 (UTC)

    Yessss! RadiantRainwing (talk) 19:02, 25 November 2025 (UTC)

    Based on the pattern, the next in the series will be "Eighteen Years" 209.52.88.184 03:23, 25 November 2025 (UTC)

    Nah, a +5,+3,+5,+3 seems too basic. Maybe 22 would work, since this is maximum k for which the grid graph P_2 X P_k is a subgraph of the n X n knight graph. Definitely didn't just copy from the oeis. ANYWAYS, by the time they get to 46 we'll have solved it by then... --2.50.0.22 03:39, 25 November 2025 (UTC)
    I feel like there's an implicit 0 at the start of the sequence (representing the initial diagnosis), which makes A246128 the only match and therefore the next one will be 23 years. Zmatt (talk) 10:59, 27 November 2025 (UTC)

    Very happy for Randall here, this is very sweet. Clayel (talk) 03:42, 25 November 2025 (UTC)

    Why is my vision getting so blurry? Elektrizikekswerk (talk) 08:29, 25 November 2025 (UTC)

    This is such a BEAUTIFUL comic! So happy for the two of them VascoTabasco (talk) 11:44, 25 November 2025 (UTC)Vasco

    I come here for a wry smile, not to be made to weep. 31.94.28.99 (talk) 14:49, 25 November 2025 (UTC) (please sign your comments with ~~~~)

    Then smile wryly (wryly? really?!?!) about the symptoms we all are getting ;-) 195.49.224.20 18:06, 25 November 2025 (UTC)
    Don't you mean 'wreally?'? 82.13.184.33 08:35, 26 November 2025 (UTC)

    After rereading the series, I wonder what happend with the date they made for the 2024 eclipse. 195.49.224.20 18:06, 25 November 2025 (UTC)

    My sister found out she had breast cancer in August so this hit me harder than previous 'installments' have. This is also a type that is resistant to pretty much anything but chemo which she is undergoing now. These give me hope, though, knowing someone else made it through their treatments. 108.85.230.207 (talk) 18:31, 25 November 2025 (UTC) (please sign your comments with ~~~~)

    This is just the sweetest. Also, the longest. Several seconds to scroll all the way down at this point. RadiantRainwing (talk) 19:03, 25 November 2025 (UTC)

    I always hoped there’d be a follow-up of them watching the 2024 eclipse like they hoped to in “Seven Years”— this doesn’t indicate if they saw it or not, but I hope they did. <3 69.116.215.42 (talk) 20:33, 25 November 2025 (UTC) (please sign your comments with ~~~~)

    What a beautiful love story! Here's to the next 15 years for you and your wife. 12.129.176.226 (talk) 10:45, 26 November 2025 (UTC) (please sign your comments with ~~~~)

    I hope for them to have a wonderful time together, Randall, I really love xkcd. Got cancer myself in 2010 and know what it feels like to still become old in love. 127.0.0.1 (talk) 10:49, 26 November 2025 (UTC) (please sign your comments with ~~~~)

    This is so very very sweet, I wish them all the best! 141.53.67.241 (talk) 13:15, 26 November 2025 (UTC) (please sign your comments with ~~~~)

    Wow. Sweet, scary and real. I'm in the middle of my Year Two and so much of the comic is familiar. I wish Megan and Cue the best of luck. 2600:1702:7a0:8230:1144:7f10:8b8d:3f6f (talk) 15:13, 26 November 2025 (UTC) (please sign your comments with ~~~~)

    Wow. Just wow! Such a deep and sweet post. Phoe6 (talk) 18:02, 26 November 2025 (UTC)

    Awww.... 66.189.7.60 16:35, 27 November 2025 (UTC)

    You bastard Monroe. If I'm crying on the train home from work, I should at least be crying about my own stuff, surely? Yorkshire Pudding (talk) 18:14, 27 November 2025 (UTC)

    Well, I did not expect to cry over the latest XKCD comic. Congratulations to you both on finding each other and helping to keep each other alive. 104.160.57.13 (talk) 13:17, 28 November 2025 (please sign your comments with ~~~~)

    I concur with the last 2 comments... "I think we're getting old" [... together ...] "It's all I wanted" makes my eyes leak drips of bittersweet joy 2607:F2C0:F00F:8C00:0:0:0:CB9 19:42, 30 November 2025 (UTC)

    The title text could also be a reference to the proverb "everyone wants to get old, but no one wants to be old". 82.132.239.204 (talk) 12:48, 1 December 2025 (UTC) (please sign your comments with ~~~~)

    This is one of the best XKCD comics I ever read 2607:FEA8:52A6:F100:3930:279A:3B23:94C7 04:58, 3 December 2025 (UTC)
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