It is so good to be back! My maternity leave was just what it needed to be, a time to recover physically and get to know my son, and for my family and I to adjust to our new life as a family of four. I am grateful to be in a field and work for a community that sees the necessity and value in paid parental leave, and I look forward to the day that all working parents have this benefit in the US, as virtually all other nations in the world do.

A big THANK YOU to you all for the touching and special welcome back gift of the hand decorated onesies for Vinny; we had a good time going through them all and seeing all the different designs and artwork. I also want to thank Sadie Kahn-Greene for her masterful handling of parts of my portfolio during my leave, as well as the LRE Committee of Amy Jamison, Laura Juitt, Debbie Armstrong, and Ruth Rose, OWL lead Elisabeth Jas, and Jane Eckert for helping with publicity. Thank you to Anne, Katie Camire, Rip, and Jane Foley for picking up various aspects of my responsibilities as well. Not only does it take a village to raise a child, it takes a village to support a mom with a new baby, and this village has done just that. Thank you all for support, well-wishes, cards, and kindness.

In Faith,

Lisa Maria