River City Jules: Saying farewell

After three years and more than 150 columns for the Go! section, I have decided it is time to move on.

There is only so much of the Dunlap family one population should have to take, in my opinion. And though there are many more tales to tell, I am ready to tell them in private now while I tackle other projects.

Speaking of, keep an eye out for “Mother%$!#Hood,” a musical about motherhood I co-wrote with my friend Sara Stotts, debuting at the Lawrence Arts Center on April 5, 2013.

While we are on the tail of the all-too-brief season of gratitude, I want to dedicate this space to those who have traveled this journey with me.

First, thank you to my editors who hired and have guided me and stuck with me no matter the topic I chose, whether it be my family or Congress or Madonna. I understand hiring a biology major to write a humor column was a risk and greatly appreciate your faith in my unproven abilities.

Thank you also to everyone who has stopped me in the grocery store to share any piece of joy these columns have brought. It is an unbelievable honor to be able to take you away from real-life problems for just a bit to a place where the only goal is a little levity on a Monday morning.

I am so very grateful to have friends who were still willing to be friends with me even though every (mis)adventure had potential for complete strangers to laugh at their expense. Now you are off the hook, as all of our stories will be shared only on Facebook from here on out.

And while unsupportive, neglectful parents seem to be a key element to many a troubled writer’s large-market success, I will happily take my small following knowing it comes with the best parents an awkward suburbanite Generation X girl could luck into. I have been so proud to share the stories about the family you created.

But the heart of this column beats in the four awesome kids who — at times to their chagrin — call me “Mom,” and in my extremely patient husband who saved me from a barracuda even though I referred to his rock band as his midlife crisis and made fun of his Japanese maple. Every woman deserves a partner in life eager to stand behind her and cheer, “You can do this!” while she stands on the high dive. How I ended up with one willing to also jump in with me is a mystery and a blessing.

I hope your Mondays were a little brighter these past three years and that the Mondays to come kick your week off with joy.