We had a rainy day at camp today. As a camp director, I dread rain and worry that it will ruin the day of our campers. Today I was reminded that even in the rain, there is the brightest sunshine in the hearts of our campers. The fact is, rain doesn’t really bother us at Camp Highlander. It is part of the day, but it is not what we remember about the day. The rain makes the day different, special and honestly, tons of fun.
The rain kept us from having our cookout outside tonight, but instead we had a cook-in. We still enjoyed the same delicious hamburgers and hot dogs, but we ate in the dining hall instead of on the field. I was on bun duty tonight. My role was to serve hamburger buns to campers as they came through the line. I was the first person in the line of staff who volunteered to serve dinner this evening, and it was the VERY best part of my day. As each camper and staff member came through the line, I smiled and asked them about their day. I was overwhelmed by the stories about their day, the joy in their hearts and the smiles on their faces. Here I am worried about the rain, and these campers reminded me that rain isn’t an obstacle…it’s an opportunity. I heard about the mudslides and fun in their soccer games, about the fact that rainy days make the blob more fun because the blob isn’t hot, and I heard about how a day hike in the rain is actually a badge of honor in your camping experience. Goose bumps…literal goose bumps on my arms tonight as I heard these stories, and again I find myself in a place of gratitude for you and your children. I just want to pinch myself that this is my life, my job, my world, and I am so grateful for the love and appreciation your children have for camp and their experience. Your children are CRAZY FOR CAMP and to be honest, I am totally CRAZY about them!
Favorite Details of the Day
- Reflect at the Rock: This morning at Reflect Beth talked about resilience. She reminded us that every situation we face at camp or in life is building us into stronger people who are more prepared to face the challenges that we will face in our future. She compared us to the trees that surround us at camp…just as they face weather, wind and circumstances, we can remain strong if we are firmly planted in our convictions.
- Weather: We woke up this morning to overcast skies and rain in our forecast. There was a thunderstorm and severe weather that threatened our day, but we were blessed to only be impacted with a constant shower. It may sound crazy that I am grateful for the rain, but to be honest I am grateful that we didn’t have a storm. At camp, we still play in the rain. Rain can’t stop the fun of camp or the magic of Camp Highlander. So all in all…it was a great day, in spite of the rain!
- Meals: Breakfast this morning was bagels and cream cheese, sausage patties, scrambled eggs and our fresh fruit and yogurt bar. Lunch was a crowd pleaser…chicken fingers, french fries and a salad and sandwich bar. Michael, our Food Services Director, was shocked at how much your kids can eat!! He loves serving them and filling them with great food, and he is flattered when they adore his food, which today they did! For dinner we had Cookout - Bryan’s famous hamburgers and hot dogs, some pasta salad, potato chips, cool watermelon slices and chocolate chip cookies!
- EP: Tonight’s EP was Harry Potter themed Olympics. Cabins were split in half to compete with other campers from other cabins to make up the Harry Potter houses. Houses competed in a variety of events like broomstick relays, potion matching, find the hidden key and quidditch. Tonight’s winner was team Gryffindor, with counselor Eric Nord as the champion. Win or lose, everyone had a great night!
About Melissa Fitzgerald
