Summer Camp

Two words that bring back fond childhood memories of fun days of outdoor adventure and campfire stories.  Those were the days, weren’t they? We sleep in bunk beds, always fighting over who got the top bunk. Made arts and crafts projects out of pipe cleaners, puff balls and glitter. My favorite, of course,  was the talent show on the last night. 

My 16 year old left today for camp. It’s a church camp and this is only his second year.  I made him go last year because I felt he need some kind of camp experience. (Yes! Obviously, I have failed in that department as a mother. I have not prepared him for the great outdoors. But, no worries, I’ve left him my copy of The Zombie Survival Guide in my will.)  This year I left the decision totally up to him. He was quite positive that he was NOT going until last week, when for some reason unknown to me, he changed his mind. Well, I not wanting to stand in the way of progress, agreed and promptly started to help him prepare. He, naturally, shooed me from his room and closed his door. Oh, the love.

Camp is one of those part of a kids life that they will be able to look back at and smile. With memories of laughter, friends, games, stories and maybe even life lesson or two.

Granted, it was at least 35 years ago that I last went to camp, but I still have vivid memories of it.  There was this time when our youth pastor got lost while we were hiking and we thought we were going to have to carry him back. That was before cell phones, you know. Half of us ended up with poison ivy. There were a lot of funny things also.  I can still see the look on that stuck-up boys face when he found out I had been his secret pen-pal all week. Or the time we took all the counselors underwear and soaked it in cool-aid.

Hmmmmm..................

Maybe I’ve prepared him just fine.   I think he can hold his own.