Since Guiding Light wrapped up on Sept. 18, I’ve been following the official Telenext Media Twitter account for Mindy Lewis (http://twitter.com/melindasuelewis or @melindasuelewis), and it has gone a long way in soothing the sting of the show being canceled. Not just because it picks up where the show left off, but because whoever is writing it  is doing such a fantastic job. (I should really find that out, shouldn’t I? My guess would be Alina Adams, who co-wrote Jonathan’s Story and authored the As the World Turns‘ tie-in novels Oakdale Confidential and The Man From Oakdale. If I’m right, I’ll buy myself a cookie.)

Mindy’s Twitter is the Bauer-centric GL that many wish we’d had in recent years. We’re “seeing” more of Mindy, Rick and Mel, of Leah, than we have in a long time. And their closest friends and family play a major part, too. Phillip and Beth, Bill, Jonathan and Lizzie’s co-parenting conflicts with Sarah and Lizzie’s new baby, Alana…it’s all just gorgeous stuff. And more than once I’ve found myself tearing up. Mindy’s recounting of her wedding to Rick was beautiful and, then, this week, Mindy tweeted about Leah’s issues at school. With a high IQ and a lot to live up to in terms of a Bauer legacy and a mom who is both a doctor and a lawyer, Leah lashed out at Rick for trying to force her into a gifted program. “I’m already a minority, Dad. You force me into the gifted program, and I’ll be a minority within a minority. No way. I’m not doing it,” she said on October 16, whirling on Mindy to add, “I hear you’re planning on having a baby. Maybe IT can be your trophy show pony of a genius…. At least he or she won’t have to go through their whole life in Springfield hearing: ‘But how can YOU be one of THOSE Bauers, you’re…’ ”

Ouch. Ouch. And BRILLIANT. That seriously punched me in the gut and made me ache to see Rick, Mindy and Leah have this out onscreen. How amazing would that have been, instead of seeing Leah languish on the backburner after they went to the trouble of SORAS-ing her? They de-aged Daisy to put her in the teen set again, spent ages investing in her love life — Grady, need I say more?– and yet we had to wait for a Twitter account to explore Leah growing up biracial?

But you know what…? I’m glad to have it, and to have it as GL canon.

So, to whoever is tweeting for Mindy, thank you. Thank you for giving us Lizzie in labor, Leah in conflict, and blue skies and Palomino ponies. Thank you for telling such beautiful stories and for keeping the Light on.