The energy this week has been so positive and with 74 kids (our second biggest week of the summer) there is a constant flurry of activity. Months from now, when I am longing for camp, it is THIS feeling that I will be thinking about.
This week we have five kids (a brother and sister and three brothers) who lost parents less than two weeks ago. The brother and sister lost their mother to breast cancer on the same day that the three brothers lost their father to lung cancer. I wasn’t sure if the kids would be able to come at all, and once I knew they were coming, I wasn’t sure in what condition they would come. But all of them have been smiling and happy and active. If I didn’t know who they were, I don’t think I would notice any difference between them and any of the other kids.
In what is sure to be the worst experience in life they’ve had thus far, there is nothing we can do for them. Nothing changes the pain they feel from losing their parents. But giving them a week of being normal, being a carefree kid and not thinking about anything except for the fun activities in front of them- that is the best we can offer. Every time I see one of them immersed in an activity, laughing, and running around, I feel like I could cry. How many times have I written about the importance of camp and how we are more than just a week of fun? But we are so much more than just a week of fun. That we can be a positive part of their lives during this time is so important. I am so proud to be able to do work that truly helps people.
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