Plane Letters
There are a lot of cumulative moments happening this week, one of them was the Talent Show last night. This is an EP that has taken about 10 days to put together. It started with “mini-talent-shows” last Sunday (we had three days of mini-shows on the gazebo stage, hundreds watched their friends perform). It ended last night with an extravaganza worthy of the moment.
Girls LOVE talent shows. It is a moment of affirmation that is so very good for the performer and a moment of joy for anyone in the audience. I am always struck by the poise, creativity, talent, and capability of the campers- last night particularly so. It was one of the best Talent Shows we have ever put on. A hugely entertaining mix of really excellent acts. Some of them were so good that I woke up this morning reliving the moment in my mind and making notes for later.
For instance: Ava’s piano piece was hauntingly beautiful, Ainsley & Kate’s “Meme’s Thoughts” skit funny, Harper’s original song moved us to a standing ovation, Susan’s singing “Mamma Mia” was like a Broadway performance, Alexa/Tricia/& Virginia’s performance “I Love Taco’s” skit/song with original lyrics sung to the tune of Driver’s License” was absolutely hilarious, Kendal’s reciting 1 Cor. 13 from memory was so good it gave me goose flesh, and Lucy’s grand finale once again brought us to our feet. It really was a great show, it went late and we were treated to a moon rise as the fireflies came out and John cranked some after-performance dance music for everyone to enjoy.
The sun is once again shining brightly, the temperatures are very comfortable, there is a steady breeze from the east, and we are enjoying another Great Day. This is the time of “plane letters”, a wonderful camp tradition that began years ago when literally 150 campers would fly out on closing day. These flights frequently required the camper leaving camp to wake up early (like 3:00 AM!), not a good time to say goodbye… so the departing camper would be given letters from her friends. These letters were not to be opened until she had left the gates of Greystone. They were always heartfelt expressions of love and appreciation and always led to grateful tears when read. It was a wonderful thing to do and became a tradition that continues despite the fact that very few campers fly out on closing day. Now we write plane letters whenever we want to do so.
I got a plane letter from Bess today… quietly slipped into my hand as we were leaving breakfast. She didn’t want to talk, didn’t say anything in fact… but I knew by the look in her eyes that it was a special letter from a good friend. She has been coming to camp for six years (quite a long time for a 14-year-old) and her neat handwriting filled two solid pages. She would not mind me sharing a line from that letter, for it expresses what many of the campers feel: “I feel that I can be myself at Greystone and the friends I have are ones I know I will keep for the rest of my life.”
We are so grateful to have shared these weeks with your girls. They are delightful beyond words and we are proud of the way they have grown. They have filled our little world with light and will be missed when they go home.
Thank you for letting them come to camp.
- Breakfast: Sausage Biscuits
- Lunch: Shaved Pork Sandwiches with Apple Slaw
- Dinner: Our Famous Pizza
- EP: Closing Vespers at the Meadow
