i wrote this blog right after week 9 of camp this summer. it has been fun to go back and read it now looking back over the summer and as whole and this week in particular. this week we were in a pinch for co-cabin leaders and this is how fantastic it worked out.
August 5, 2007.
a FANTASTIC week with mom.
setting the stage. A 10:00am phone call on Monday morning went much differently than expected. I called my mom to get a phone number of another friend to see if she would be willing to come yet that day to volunteer cabin lead with me for the week. Cabin leading this particular week involved being responsible for the well-being and fun of 18 girls heading into the 8th grade. Mom said that our friend would be unable to come due to previous commitments, but then half sarcastically-half seriously suggested that she come. “Would I for sure get to be in your cabin?” “Yes, Mom, please come! (scream)! I want you to come so bad! Call me back as soon as you know!!!” This is when mom realized what she may have just gotten herself into. And in typical mom fashion, she quickly lists off everything that would need to happen to allow her to come.
1. Call Lori to see if she can do care plans.
2. Call dad to see if he can take care of Grandpa on Thursday.
3. Work until at least 2 today to set Lori up for care plans.
4. Have a momentary freak-out. Done.
Four things on the list, one already taken care of. Short list, yet I have a sick feeling in my stomach that she is not going to be able to make it. After I hung up the phone, I had to go to staff worship. Usually something I relish in, but I could not even sit still. I even cried two tears thinking about how disappointed I would be if she couldn’t come. Fast forward to 6:28pm. Mom gets to camp! This is the story of our FANTASTIC week.
F is for fun. My mom is fun. It does not matter that she is 46 years old. Sure there were times when she was not the cool one…but that‘s what I am here for! Sometimes she felt out of place when the official camp fun was taking place. But lets be real, official camp fun is more ridiculousness than actual “funness.” She tired to participate in the cha cha side and scream her head off to get the spirit stick. But when the actual fun came out was when she would go water sliding with the girls or let them play in the rain instead of having reflection. Those are memories that the girls will never forget and a reason this week was fun.
A is for abnormal. Cabin leaders do not get nights off…usually. I had asked my supervisor at the beginning of the summer if I could have Thursday, August 2 off to be able to go to the Fray concert which I had a ticket for from a previously scheduled then canceled show. Jen said she would love to make it work. Her plan was to hang out with my cabin throughout the week and get to know the girls. Then she would stay in the cabin and lead cabin time and put the babies to bed. Just so happens that three cabin leader girls got sick week 9 making it so that Jen is unable to stay with my cabin while I went to the Fray. I offered to stay and skip the show, but Jen said, “No, Kayra (no not a typo, she really calls me Kayra) I promised you a long time ago. We will make it work.” As it turns out making it work was trusting mom to stay with the girls by herself with little guidance due to unforeseen and unavoidable problems. But Mom was great with the girls in spite of a torrential downpour and uncooperative girls.
N is for nurturing. She is a mom. She brings a lot of experience to the table that is valuable for the girls to get in on. After all, she put up with me when I was that age. Thank the Lord. I don’t remember being like the girls were¾ she said I was. As if…whatever! (eye roll)
T is for testing. Week 9 Cabin 13 was the most difficult cabin I have had all summer. Some say the cabin is cursed, and after this week I have reason to believe them. Bad attitudes and disrespect were a constant battle. All Jr. High students test the limits at first to see what is actually expected. They are experiencing freedom for the first time and are unsure how to handle it, but these girls did more than test the limits. We failed cabin inspection on Wednesday--a girls cabin has never failed all summer--so we spent some quality time cleaning during free time that afternoon. After this incident the girls realized that we were not the only ones who expected them to behave. But the battle still raged on.
A is for accurate. This is not the first time mom has been noted for her accuracy. One word-- dodgeball.
S is for scheduled. “Here at YouthFront Camp West we pride ourselves on running a smooth program. This is only possible if you as Cabin Leaders have your kids at events ontimeearly (yeah, all one word).” Can we all just take a moment to realize what they are asking us? Eighteen thirteen-year-old girls out of the cabin before 7:50am...sure, done!
T is for timely. Since I believe that everything works together through Christ who is sovereign over all I should not be surprised. But thinking back over how the events of the summer panned out to bring me to a place where I needed my mom week 9, I am pleasantly surprised. After weeks of doing the same thing and facing the same problems time and time again, it is nice to have your mom around to get taken care of. She wrote all the Christmas cards for me. (don’t tell the campers we write them while they are still at camp. It would ruin the surprise.) She woke the girls up one day when it was definitely my turn. Small things like that make my role much more enjoyable.
I is for insane. Mom got to see me in my element, as she so sweetly put it. Dancing is one of my favorite things in the world and the great thing about Jr. High girls is that they think you are a great dancer even when you are far from that. She watched as I was Mrs. Incredible, Nightstrike Barbie, Grandma Betty, Beach Party Barbie, and Birthday Princess Barbie. What mom wouldn’t want to see her daughter make a complete fool of herself…all for the sake of Jesus of course! Haha. Oh and the constant screaming and dancing at Hype. I love all that stuff too, mom not so much.
C is for community. For me, the most meaningful thing that has resulted from Mom sending a week at camp with me is that she was able to see my community firsthand. I have talked to her a lot about the staff as a whole and about individual people. She was finally able to get a glimpse of what makes camp amazing. It is not the blobbing or hype or even the teaching, but it is the community that God has blessed me with.
closing statements. At 6:28pm Mom arrived at camp. At 11:07 on Saturday morning, Mom left camp. The time in between changed both of us. I have always said that camp messes with your head. I think Mom may agree now. It is a good mess though. God meets people at camp. God mends relationships at camp. God draws people closer together and closer to himself at camp. Mom and I have always had a unique relationship and this week proved that even more. I had the privilege of co-cabin leading with one of my best friends as well as my mom. At the end of the week the cabin leaders have evaluate their co’s. How did your co do in leading the campers? Fantastic.
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2 comments:
I agree that you have a very awesome mother. I also think that you are one incredible young adult to realize what a wonderful person your mother is.
Too many young adults still can't get over the early teenage difficulty of failing to appreciate his or her parent as an individual with a unique set of gifts and talents.
Your mother is one of the most fun, caring, wise, and gracious woman I have ever met. Hmmmm, maybe that's why she's my best friend???!!!
What a week it was!!! I had a blast spending the week with you. It was a bit interesting to have my daughter as my boss for the week! I'm glad you wrote this right after it happened, you captured the week very well.
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