Friday? is it really you?

The past seven days are officially in the running for longest week ever.

but - deep breath - it's Friday. and there's something about Friday that'll make even the weariest of amateur social workers perk up.

A week from today, my very own momma will travel to Boston. She'll hop aboard a jet, fly over lakes and mountains and sky and cruise into Logan mid-dayish. She's coming to see the city, and to relax - but, mostly, she's coming to see me.

[Leisa Ann, age 16]

People often say that I favor my mom, and it's true - we share DNA and heart and memories. She's a woman of compassion, of emotional generosity, who loves much and often. She feels things deeply, as do I, and is a better woman for it. In me, she has instilled the value of faith; in her, I've witnessed the beauty of a heart that hopes against the odds.

anticipating lots of laughs, perhaps a few tears, and a whole lotta life crammed into five days.

[Sarah, Becca, and Mom, last summer at Fenway]