July 24 2024
I can’t believe this is our last day. It is a jolting fact that surprised me this morning. I awoke with the usual little details niggling the back of my mind. Little routines that require specific attention every day (breakfast club, emails, letters, meetings, maintenance, business). Today, each of these routine items immediately highlighted the fact that today is a special occasion requiring special attention: Banquet Day. It shocks my muddled early-morning mind and elicits familiar pangs of sadness and joy that this day always brings. The causes are understood:
- We are going to miss each other. The tightly packed dining hall and pavilion, the little clubs, the giant classes, the cozy cabins, and everything else that brings everyone together (each routine greeting of those familiar faces has become a delight). We love each other. Where else can you say that you just love everyone (even those who you don’t like that much)? That annoying person (I count myself as one of the annoying people in camp) has become endearing in her way. It is strange and wonderful that such a community exists… we are sad to see it break up so abruptly.
- We will miss the routine. The bugles… reveille, Flag, Soupie, Call to Quarters, Taps… where else do bugles elicit such emotions? I suppose they are still part of military life, but I am unsure. The fact is, bugles become beloved over time. They work wonders: moving a crowd quickly and eventually causing an emotional response in the group. Bugles are just a tiny part of the routine that we have come to love. We will miss it.
- We will miss the music. Singing in the dining hall and pavilion has formed these girls into a beautiful choir. Dancing (in the pit, the tent, the cabin, on the stage) has become as natural as a high-five greeting when together. Exuberant dancing… where else do we have such moments as last week (the impromptu post-EP dance party in Bungalow L6 boasted almost 100 dancers… too many, as it turns out). Funny story: ask your daughter about it! We are going to miss experiencing the power of music and dancing.
- We will miss our activities. Many of us now have a passion for an activity we didn’t even know we liked. Mountain Biking, climbing, Zumba, yoga, archery, riflery, canoeing, sailing, kayaking, ceramics, tennis, pickleball, mahjong, acting, backstage crew, painting, metal jewelry, glass art, fabric art, knitting, crochet, cooking, gardening, chickens, horses, and the list goes on. Many of these activities are difficult to do elsewhere, and even if we can do them, they will not be the same. We will miss them.
- We will miss the dining hall. The blessing of good food with no effort required (deciding on the menu, finding ingredients, cooking, and clean-up are all effortless). The salad bar has become a blessing that I have found impossible to duplicate at home. All that prep for food that spoils quickly (requiring frequent trips to the grocery store) has proven a task too great for my day. The storage containers alone are a lot of work (finding the right one, keeping it clean, and storing when not used). I just give up and don’t eat as well. This is probably true for most of us who don’t have access to a great salad bar restaurant.
It is a sweet ending to a sweet session. Thank you for making it possible.
- Breakfast Pancakes and Sausage
- Breakfast Club Frog and Scorpion, Donut not the Hole
- Morning Assembly Thankfulness (The ten lepers)
- Weather 81 degrees, overcast, slight chances of rain throughout the day (this is also the forecast for tomorrow morning… good news as it was 90% chance of heavy rain just a day ago!)
- Lunch Taco in a bag
- Dinner Banquet Feast