It’s a testament to Schulz’s skill and care that so many of his Peanuts characters can share the spotlight without diminishing the strip.  “Good ol’ Charlie Brown” isn’t even in this strip, yet the strip drips with the hopefulness and sadness of life (and things beyond our control).  Whether he intended it or not, Schulz understood the best and worst parts of social dynamics.

(image from gocomics.com)