The final morning of Camp is always bittersweet. As we pack our belongings, clean our cabins, and start saying our goodbyes, the reality of heading back to the real world starts to creep in. But for a few more hours we get to enjoy the feeling of being in our favorite place with our favorite people.
Campers carried their trunks to the truck and made their way to breakfast by 9:00. We enjoyed eggs, pancakes, home fries, bacon, fruit, and muffins and the portions were quite generous. We sat for our last meal together and reminisced on the week we’ve shared. While everyone is incredibly tired by this point of the week, only laughter could be heard coming from each table.
After breakfast, we settled in for morning watch for one last reflection. At the end, each person was encouraged to stand up and hug the first person they made eye contact with. In a matter of minutes, campers and staff were embracing for one last Camp hug. Words of appreciation and gratitude were aplenty.
We walked back up to the council ring for a staff photo and a Camp selfie. To close out the morning, Reverend Bill had us stand together in one large circle for a final prayer in which he reminded us that this group of people would never be together again, encouraging us to savor these last few moments. After the prayer, we joined hands and sang the Lord’s Prayer one last time.
Campers were given their bus assignments and they slowly made their way through the field. The staff members who weren’t assigned to bus duty walked to the end of the Cody driveway, preparing to bid our campers farewell. As the buses pulled away, our staff applauded, waved, and cheered loudly for each and every person who joined us this week.
This staff-member-turned-blogger/Ta
It’s nearly impossible to put into words what a week of Camp is like. Capturing the memories is a daunting task. Everyone who’s ever spent a week at Camp knows that to truly understand what it’s like, well… you just had to be there. But I hope I was able to offer you even just a fraction of insight into the wonderful time we all shared. We appreciate your support and your interest more than you’ll ever know.
Thank you to the amazing staff who worked so hard to make this week possible. Planning for the next week of Camp begins almost as soon as we return from our previous one, and this group of people dedicated thousands of hours to creating this vacation with a purpose that means so much to so many.
Finally, thank you to the campers. We wouldn’t be here doing this work that we love so much if it weren’t for them. Spending this time with our Camp family is truly a gift and a privilege. I know that for me, having the opportunity to be at Camp is the greatest joy of my life, and so many of our staff agree.
I hope to see you all at the Braintree High School parking lot 51 weeks from now. Until then, do good and be well.
No comments:
Post a Comment