Here I sit, 1:25pm, and wondering why today, of all days, is dragging by so slowly. How is it that they other days of summer flew by in the blink of an eye? Will it be this way all week?
Today has been a bit easier for me...I hope you two have found the same. The vice grip on my heart was lessened, ever so slightly, when I woke up this morning. I knew we had all made it through the night and were just that closer to seeing each other again. (Man alive, you'd think it was all summer that you guys were going to be gone, not 6 days!)
I refreshed and refreshed the camp blog until THERE IT WAS. An update. Not the camper photos I was hoping, no scouring each photo trying to search out my kiddos, but still an update. They spoke of the fun at supper time the night before, while the campers asked others how to say "food words" in different languages. I could imagine you two being a part of that conversation...oh, I can not wait to hear your stories!
People keep reassuring me that this is harder on me than it is on you and gracious, do I hope they are right. I never had a camp experience, so I can't relate to how you are feeling, but "they" say that you are having a blast. That you are kept so busy that you don't have time to be homesick. Goodness, do hope that is the truth.
Dad has also been struggling...wondering how you two are doing and hoping you are having fun.
4 nights to go, my loves...4 nights.
Here's to having them go quickly!!
Today has been a bit easier for me...I hope you two have found the same. The vice grip on my heart was lessened, ever so slightly, when I woke up this morning. I knew we had all made it through the night and were just that closer to seeing each other again. (Man alive, you'd think it was all summer that you guys were going to be gone, not 6 days!)
I refreshed and refreshed the camp blog until THERE IT WAS. An update. Not the camper photos I was hoping, no scouring each photo trying to search out my kiddos, but still an update. They spoke of the fun at supper time the night before, while the campers asked others how to say "food words" in different languages. I could imagine you two being a part of that conversation...oh, I can not wait to hear your stories!
People keep reassuring me that this is harder on me than it is on you and gracious, do I hope they are right. I never had a camp experience, so I can't relate to how you are feeling, but "they" say that you are having a blast. That you are kept so busy that you don't have time to be homesick. Goodness, do hope that is the truth.
Dad has also been struggling...wondering how you two are doing and hoping you are having fun.
4 nights to go, my loves...4 nights.
Here's to having them go quickly!!
Enjoy your week of some quite time.
ReplyDeleteOh....I can understand how you are feeling.
ReplyDeleteBut....let me give you some encouragement. I went to a week-long church camp every summer from around age 8 to 16. It was the type of camp where gradually increased your degree of roughing it over the years. It averaged out to sleeping on wooden floors in primitive tents and cooking over a camp fire 2 meals a day. Most years I had a fantastic time. Some years I didn't. Most years I didn't bring a friend with me, some years I did.
But I am so, so, so glad that my parents sacrificed to send their 5 kids to camp for all of those years (we once figured that they probably spent $20,000 sending kids to camp over all of those years!). I learned so much. I grew in my faith. But almost as important is that I learned a lot of life skills. I learned to be flexible. I learned to get along with lots of different people (that's something that was useful as I moved to college) . I learned to deal with not-ideal living situations. I learned that I was tough and someone that could stick it out and get through anything. That's something I'm proud of even 20 years later! One year, my mom told me later that she wouldn't have said no had I wanted to leave right when they dropped me off. I stuck it out and had a great week. But the thing that I remember most about all of those years is how much fun I had. How magical it was to spend a week with by myself without my siblings and with a cool leader who seemed so much older than probably 18 :)
So I hope that your kids have a great week---I'm guessing that they will! But even if they don't---even if they are miserable and homesick---it will be a good experience for them. I don't have kids yet, but if I do, you can bet that I will be sending them off to camp as soon as they are old enough.