A Long Summer

I can’t say that this summer was easy.

It was long full of a ton of blood, sweat, and tears, but also so much fulfillment and joy in the little things.

I found a home where I was welcomed and loved.

I grew in unexpected ways and found what it meant to be loved in true friendships.

It hurts to be away and to be done with camp.

Part of me is relieved - there will be no more attending to little campers who need your attention at every second of the day. No more late nights because of homesickness and kids who “just can’t go to sleep”. No more “accidents” or hearing about drama. No more tireless work for hours and hours on end. No more crazy chaos. No more one-day-a-week-breaks. No more same meals for weeks on end. No more scrapes, cuts, and bruises. No more camp “jokes”. No more non-stop work.

The other part of me will miss everything else. The laughter, the insides jokes, and the joy. The beautiful but unexpected friendships that just clicked and were so right. The support from the community. The care of the directors and lead team. The fulfillment in caring for the little ones knowing that they loved you no matter what you did. The beauty in getting to know a slice of what it might be like to be a mother. The brotherly love I felt from my male friendships. The perfectness of being part of a beautiful mission to serve children and teens. The love for the faith that kept the community strong. The stories that came out of the past three months. I could go on and on and on about it all……..

This camp will forever have an important place in my heart.

I sincerely don’t know if I will be returning. That is up to Our Lord, but I do hope to be back - somehow and sometime soon.

My hope for those I love is that they will one day be able to experience a slice of the love I encountered in the beautiful hidden place that is Camp Gray Catholic Summer Camp.