The Best Days

Is today going to be the best day or not? This is the question that we pose every day at camp… for every day is just a matter of choices that define the answer.

We propose that every day is a GREAT day… no matter what the particular details might be. No day is going to be perfect; if perfection is our standard for happiness, then we are destined for a life of bitter dissapointment. I like to say that there are no bad days, only bad moments… our response to those moment defines how our day “feels”.

So… purpose to make today a FANTASTIC day; this is what my father taught us. At camp the elements are carefully prepared to provide moments of delight, chill bumps of wonder, explosive laughter, tears of sympathy, warm hugs, and on and on. Camp is full of delight, but also the occasional yucky moments… sometimes we stub a toe, we get our feelings hurt, we miss home. Camp is life… we help the girls learn how to confidently LIVE and make every day a GREAT day.

Some girls will have moments of homesickness. You might get a homesick letter today or tomorrow. This letter might make you very concerned about her well being and you will feel the need of reassurance. That is fine… but know that if your daughter were not adjusting appropriately, we would have called you already.

Homesickness is a very normal response at camp, I personally struggled with it every summer I went to Falling Creek in the 70’s… and my father was the director of the camp! Less than 5% of our campers show signs of being homesick, but probably 60% are missing home at some point in the day (usually at Rest Hour or before bed) and writing letters that give a glimpse into their feelings at that moment. They are coping with their feelings very well, focusing on the good rather than their bad feelings. They are GROWING and doing a great job of it. We often know that they have these feelings but don’t call you because we know that it is not a big deal.

If you are concerned, by all means call or email your group leader. It is not a problem! We will gladly look into it for you; but it rarely turns out to be a real issue. It usually is just a normal camp adjustment, you just got a ringside seat!

Some girls DO have adjustment issues that you should be aware of, for these issues are negatively affecting her experience of camp. We help the girls work through these feelings, but want to get your input and support. Your group leader will call and give you a detailed report, hear your ideas, suggest a game plan, and work out the details. It always works. We never fail!

So, if you get a call… no big deal. If you don’t get a call and are worried, feel free to check in with us and we can look into it… but also feel free to give it time and trust that we will be attentively paying attention to your daughter. We have been doing this for a long time, we are experts (quite literally) on making a camp experience really connect in a meaningful way. More than 90% of our campers choose to re-enroll… and of that 10% that don’t, half want to come back but can’t for one reason or another. We won’t connect with every one, but we get pretty close!

Breakfast… allow me opine on the Fruit Bar.

We have a side room that has two salad bar boxes (big 7 foot long restaurant salad bar “things”) that allow for 4 lines to get buffet style food. The system is very good… even a long line disappears in a matter of moments. We have a “Salad Bar Guy” manning the room to see that empty trays are replaced immediately. The girls learn to move quickly down the line, not “thinking” about what to get. It is really a wonderful place to go. At breakfast it is filled with fruit. Three kinds of melon, two kinds of berries, grapes, yogurt, cottage cheese, steel cut cinnamon oatmeal, and home made granola. This is where the “milk cow” resides as well, providing endless 2% milk all day long for anyone who wants it.

All this food makes mealtime a delight. We anticipate the “soupie” bugle all day long. The entire camp is enveloped with fragrant kitchen smells… home made bread baking, tomato sauce reducing, pork chops frying, cookies coming out of the oven… all day every day! The very definition of home.

The weather is warm, dry, and slightly humid. We are settling in and life is good. Thank you for checking in.

Jimboy