He's a little lost! He needs Camp.

A phone call from a parent today prompted this blog. The parent was calling about a friend's child who she described as "lost" since the death of his mother. She wanted him to come to Camp so he could be "special", feel good about himself and make friends. Of course, I agreed to do all we could to make this happen for him.

After I hung up the phone I started thinking about all the kids who come to Camp Speers-Eljabar YMCA because it's the place that they feel special and important. I thought of W.M. who tells about how shy he used to be and how he can now make friends anywhere because of his experience at Camp. He told me about going out for the High School football team because he had learned that he could be successful when he tried new things at Camp.

I thought about C.D. who joins every event with enthusiasm and makes friends with every camper. C.D. tells us that it's hard for her to make friends at school but that at Camp she finds it so easy.

I thought about G.V. who after 8 years as a camper is now going to return for her 4th summer as a staff member. She told me that ever since she started coming to Camp, her closest friends have been from Camp and that she lived for the summers when she'd be back.

I also thought about my own daughter, who as a high school freshman has already started to think about going away to college. She recently observed, going to college and learning to live with one or two roommates is going to be easy after living with 11 cabin mates at Camp each summer!

I will never forget the dad who approached me as I stood waving goodbye on check out day. He came up to me and blurted out "I don't know what you've done to my son!" (I started to panic) Then as tears spilled, he said "He's happy, he has friends, he is a new person. I don't know how to thank you!" and he gave me a great big hug. Then he walked into the office and signed his son up for 4 more weeks later in the summer.

Overcoming shyness, recovering from grief & loss, making friends, feeling appreciated, gaining confidence - it happens at Camp while singing silly songs out LOUD, climbing towers, paddling boats, toasting marshmellows, playing games, taking hikes and endlessly talking with campers and staff!

I feel kinship with the Statue of Liberty - though rather than standing in the NY Harbor, I stand in the Pocono Mountains -with my arms open wide and beckon "send me your lost, your friendless, your shy, your active, your searching, your developing humans and I will send you back happy, friend-rich, confident, and aspiring boys and girls."