A Little Thinner

A Camp dad wrote a neat email yesterday… sometimes words are so good they demand a louder voice, so I share it with you now. In speaking of his observations of camp this summer he said:

“The veil between Heaven and Earth seems to be a little thinner at Greystone.”

True.

I think this is the heart of the feeling that we all have at this point in the summer. Our eyes tear up unexpectedly, catching us off guard and slightly embarrassed. I see it in the dining hall, the pavilion, on the road, by the lake… everywhere. It is sweet, for it represents a genuine appreciation of the good gift of camp. We appreciate the gifts of friendship and unconditional love… we feel the satisfaction of awards that OTHERS receive… we feel the pangs of time that is now past… the anticipation of good times to come. It is a feeling of deep emotion that defies definition. Emotions that are not completely understood.

Greystone is not perfect. Every camper’s experience it touched not only by moments of joyful satisfaction and accomplishment but also by moments of disappointment and sometimes pain. What makes camp good is our tendency to acknowledge these imperfections and rise above them. To “keep our eyes upon the donut and not upon the hole”.

When we are disappointed, we don’t wallow in dispair but instead celebrate those other moments that exceeded our expectations. When we don’t feel loved, we turn our attention to the needs and feelings of those around us and make THEM feel loved. Our lives begin and end with a little Scripture and include little prayers throughout the day. We respect authority. We act like children but write like adults. Life at camp is not perfect but it is good. That fact is what makes us cry.

C.S. Lewis writes of this feeling better than anyone I have every read. In the last book of The Chronicles of Narnia he writes of the feeling of joy that came after the last battle when Narnia was destroyed and the new world was first seen. I share it with you because it touches on the truth of the “thin veil” between heaven and earth that we sometimes glimpse. I think this was particularly true this year.

“I have come home at last! This is my real country! I belong here. This is the land I have been looking for all my life, though I never knew it till now…Come further up, come further in!” And as He spoke, He no longer looked to them like a lion; but the things that began to happen after that were so great and beautiful that I cannot write them. And for us this the end of all the stories, and we can most truly say that they all lived happily ever after. But for them it was only the beginning of the real story. All their life in this world and all their adventures in Narnia had only been the cover and the title page: now at last they were beginning Chapter One of the Great Story which no one on earth has read: which goes on for ever: in which every chapter is better than the one before.” C.S. Lewis, The Last Battle

Many girls will choose to watch the Greystone Tennis Tournament finals on Center Court. About two hundred girls will surround the court, sitting in their crazy creek chairs and writing furiously in between points. David Vining will provide color comentary and bumper music. There will be dancing inbetween games and cheering during good points. Some will sit in the shade of the surrounding pine trees, taking the opportunity to have one last DMC with a special friend. Many girls will stick to their normal schedule, finishing projects and passing levels. The theme of this day is “make it count”. If something is on your summer bucket list, do it now while you still have time.

Camp is wonderful… this day will be wonderful… all is well with the world.

From the bottom of my heart: Thank You.

Jimboy

PS In the 2013 Tennis Tournament, Caroline C. defeated Wendy H. 6-2, 6-2. At the close of the match David played Neil Diamond’s “Sweet Caroline” and everyone sang along to Caroline. It was a lot of fun.