Wednesday, November 24, 2010

happy campers & friday pow-wows

ever since i was all of 6 years old, i spent time at a little day camp each summer.
some years it was one week others nine weeks of the summer.
i started out as a camper. i loved each one of my counselors.
i progressed to a counselor in training & then to a counselor.

camp taught camping skills, nature education & Native American lore.
each day, campers worked together to
create & set up their campsite and build & start a fire to cook their lunch.
afterwords they played in creeks, slid down mudslides & sang camp songs.
all while learning & enjoying a little bit of nature.

to counselors, camp provided days in the sun & an excuse to get muddy.
pigs in a blanket, tinfoil stew, cheese toasties cooked over a fire for lunch.
the undevoted admiration of 15 kids, each week & pow wow fridays.
fellow campers over the years turned friends turned co-workers
to hang out with during the day and party with at night.
a chance to sing, laugh, skip, play tag, act a fool & breathe in the fresh air
all while wearing jeans and t-shirts. every single day of the summer.
also known to a college student as the perfect summer job.

the picture above reminded me of those such days.
those summers spent as a counselor were, hands down, the best.
on the eve of thanksgiving, first shared between Native Americans & pilgrims,
i wanted to reflect back on the simple things abbout camp i was thankful for.

jeans. warmth of a campfire. tee pees. the ability to run & play outside.
perfect summer jobs. nature. friends. feathered headdresses. sunshine.
camp songs. traditions. laughter. wooded trails. a paycheck.
happy campers & friday pow-wows.

to this day, i'm still thankful for those things & those days.
how could i not be?

photo via the design crush blog

2 comments:

  1. I use to love summer camp!!! Happy Thanksgiving!!

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  2. Jessica's Mom says...I remember your summer camp as a time for you to see how much the children loved you and your love for everything camp. I remember going into the big building where all the tribes had their own homes. What a special place for parents to visit and see what their children had made during the week. And then there was Chris. I remember the thrill of walking down on Wednesdays to see you with your campers at the mid-week program. Weren't those kids good. And then there was Chris. Remember the end of the summer and the Big Pow-Wow. All the counselors wore their special necklaces and the kids wore their beads and Indian costumes. And then there was Chris. To me, the end of summer was always marked by the Pow-Wow. And through all the years, there was Chris. The love and respect Chris shared with all of you for an organization and what it takes to keep one going year after year was a lesson about life. Nothing good happens overnight. You have to love something to make it grow and Chris loved that camp.

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