Crying

I had heard rumblings that some of the staff were feeling stressed out. Boy/girl problems, stuff from home, end of the summer burnout... I wasn't exactly sure, so I pulled Counselor A, then Counselor Jo, then Counselor Ju, then Counselor N. Each had the same response to my question of, "how's it going?" "AWFUL".

They all have the same personality of wanting to help, wanting to fix things and of taking on other people's stress. So it wasn't just that they were dealing with personal things, it was much bigger than that.

Several people had ridden the bus home this weekend, and when it returned on Sunday afternoon, the staff all looked rough. Each time I asked how they were doing, the response was verging on tears. After a long, tear-filled conversation with Counselor M, I decided I needed to bring them all together.

I told Assistant PD A that I was going to have an emergency staff meeting during evening chapel and she would be on her own with the kids. She looked a little panicky and I missed S a lot at that moment. But she made a plan and acted confident and did well.

I took the 12 staff I have left and we sat in a circle and talked. 10 weeks ago, they were strangers and when I told them they would be a family by the end, they looked skeptical. It is difficult to adjust to being with people 24/7, but now, 10 weeks later, they don't know how to be alone. They just spent 10 weeks being challenged, pushed to exhaustion, having fun and going though a life hanging experience. Their friends at home won't understand and won't really care about their stories. As they looked at each other, they know that these are the people who know exactly what they are thinking and feeling without words. They share so many inside jokes and memories, there is no comparison to anything else.

As I described what they were feeling, one by one, they burst into tears. They were holding hands, sobbing, clinging to each other. I reminded them that no one was dying and that they would see each other again. That their relationships would change, but it would be okay. I also reminded them that they have a whole week together and that the best thing would be to throw themselves into it and live it up! Don't spend the week dwelling on the end- have as much fun as possible.

As we stood together and said a prayer, literally every single one of them was crying. I know the feeling, I have mourned the loss of summer many years in a row. I hugged a few of them, once again reminding them that it isn't over yet. I am not surprised by their reaction. And I am happy to see they have had such a powerful experience. Camp is a life changing experience. I say it all the time, but then there are moments like that and it is so clear how much of an affect camp has.