Homesick or Happy?

Much of this was written in 2011, it still rings true today. If you are concerned about your daughter not being happya at camp, read on.

There is something to be aware of when reading camp updates and that is “The Bubble”.

Life is just different when it is experienced at camp. We unplug from the gadgets and plug into the people that surround us. The process is gradual; so gradual we often don’t even notice. Gradually, we find ourselves laughing at the silliest little things, we delight in every conversation, we close our eyes and lie back on soft grass and smile as a gentle breeze rustles the pine trees. We twirl, skip, roll down hills, walk arm in arm, and catch fire flies at night. We dig our toes into the mulchy dirt and delight in the sweet smells that come from the earth.

None of these things fill our days at home. I say this with a sense of regret… for it is that way with my family as well (and we live here). At home life is just more complicated and hectic. The computer demands our attention. Wake up early and rush to school, work hard all day then rush off to soccer practice, grab a quick bite, go to youth group and drop a child at play practice, pick everyone up and rush home to get homework done, go to bed/ Repeat. At camp… life is different.

Here we celebrate simplicity. No electronics, lots of outside exercise, good simple food (always eaten family style at a table), friends everywhere (we meet one new ones every day), and the loving support of Godly counselors who care about every detail.

Here we pray 6 times a day (each meal, after both assemblies, and after cabin devotions at night). We read the Bible and we sing all the time. This is life lived well… and the effect is amazing.

The dining hall is LOUD. As tables get to know eachother, they talk louder and louder… lots of laughter and lots of leaning forward to hear what is being said. In fact, the entire camp is full of happy sounds. Screams of delight coming from the Adventure Course, music from the pool (yes the pool is wired for sound), instructors calling out encouragement, tennis counselors feeding a hundred balls in 2 minutes (a flurry of activity that is hard to describe). Hammers clanking in the silver smith class, and the background sounds of nature (wind, birds, insects). It is a soothing music that delights the soul.

Thank you for sharing your girls. They are doing GREAT… Don’t Worry!

“But I got a sad letter”… A sad letter does not equate to a sad camper. Letters are written at Rest Hour when the girls are quiet in their beds and we hope they can enjoy a cat nap. The quiet times are the hard times; thus, thoughts turn to home twice a day (Rest Hour and bedtime). This is normal, we all feel it, we grow through it. All day long, we are fine… but given an hour of quiet and we get shaky.

If a camper is homesick, we let you know. You will get a call from your Group Leader Sarah Brown (Head Counselor) or Laura Hollowell (Director). A homesick camper is a camper that is not adjusting to camp and needs help. We will let you know if your camper is homesick, it is important news and we need to talk through the plan to solve it. We have lots of experience with this (as you can imagine) and we are very good.

Most of the time there are reasons for feeling sad (a physical reason, disharmony in the cabin, feeling left out by a friend, unsure about what the camp routines are)… we help the camper discover the reason, and rise above it. This is called growth! It is why you send your girls to camp, to equip them to be well adjusted children. The confidence that comes from this growth process is real gold. Value it!

It is very unusual for a camper not to have moments of homesickness in these early days. My own daughters struggled with it as well (and camp is our home!). The quiet moments of camp seem to turn our hearts wistful in the early days of camp… we miss home, but as soon as the bugle blows and we are doing things again we are happy.

Almost every homesick letter that was written yesterday or will be written today is from campers who are perfectly happy in camp. Nobody knows they are homesick, because they are not the least bit sad most of the time. They are smiling, happy, giggling with friends, going to classes and contributing to our community in a positive way. We aren’t worried about these girls, you shouldn’t be either.

There is a small group that needs help. If you think your daughter is one of those, let us know. Email or call your Group Leader… she will quietly check out the situation and give you a report.

Thanks again… I hope this helped.

Jimboy