Smiles are the love language of camp. They have an amazing power to say so much without saying a word. A smile says “I see you” or “I’m proud of you.” A smile can say “you’ve got this” or “don’t give up.” And most of all, a smile says “we love you,” “it’s going to be ok” and “my day is brighter because you are a part of it.”
I find myself smiling most when I see you children having fun, embracing camp and loving their friends. We have the most amazing group of campers here with us, and their positive energy and joyful spirits are contagious!
Tonight’s talent show had us all smiling from ear to ear. We had over 30 acts tonight of singing, dancing, comedy routines, instrumental performances, skits, tumbling routines and more. I am so proud of each and every performer for the courage and confidence they showed to get out in front of 400 people and perform. It was incredible to see, and I was blown away with their talent, sense of humor and heart!
While not every camper or cabin had a performance, the talent show is one of the evening programs that involves participation from 100% of our camp family. The campers who don’t perform still participate with their attention, their encouragement, their cheers, their applause and their hugs. My favorite part of the night is watching the crowd…they clap along with the music, they whistle and scream for their friends on stage, they wave their arms with the beat of the performance and always after the act is complete, the crowd overwhelms me with their standing ovations, making the performer’s smile even bigger…and mine too!
Favorite Details of the Day
- Reflect at the Rock: Emily read a poem to us by Edgar Guest called See It Through. It encouraged us to face hard things with courage and to see it through. You could fail, but you might conquer…see it through!
- Weather: We woke up to warm sunshine today. We had a beautiful day of weather with a brief afternoon sprinkle that didn’t interfere with our activities or our fun!
- Meals: For breakfast this morning we had cinnamon rolls, scrambled eggs, bacon and a fresh fruit and yogurt bar. For lunch we had walking tacos with homemade guacamole and a salad bar. For dinner we had our Friday night tradition…Papa John’s pizza! We served carrots and cucumbers with ranch and hummus as a side, but the pizza was a huge hit! For dessert we had Gus’ after campers choice sign ups!
- EP: Tonight’s evening program was the much anticipated talent show! Campers showed off their amazing talents on stage, and I am so proud of them!
About Melissa Fitzgerald
