The weight of the week lifts off my shoulders. The words just keep coming until I’ve almost lost my voice. Mom rubs my head as she listens, adding comments and asking questions alone the way. Once I start talking, it’s like everything I forgot comes back to me. There is no specific topic. I just tell all about the days since I last let all my thoughts slip out of my mouth. Conversation moves from weird dreams, to awkward friendships, to school projects. My mom sits and plays solitare on her phone while I flop about, continuously talking. My energy level rises as I get excited about new things in my life. The t.v. is just background noise as my chatter continues. The only stop that can come is bed time. Only now do I realize how much better I feel after letting all my thoughts be shared with another, even the ones I didn’t know were weighing me down.