June 15, 2026

We awoke to a brilliant, blue-sky day. Light breeze coming off the lake, birds singing, the aroma of bacon, and laughter from the cabin area. The last week of camp is always marked by high spirits. The girls are giddy; counselors smile brightly and laugh loudly; support staff jump to their jobs with enthusiasm; hostesses, head staff, directors… we all have caught the fever. The mountaintop is visible, we can do anything!

Camp is a mountaintop experience. A challenging quest that looms during the endless preparations of winter and spring. This is true for campers, counselors, and staff, all of whom are excitedly anxious about opening day. How will we ever be ready? Frantic days and extended work weeks get everything done… then the gates, and we hang on to the galloping horse of camp. The camp days pass quickly, and momentum builds. It all comes together on the last week.

In the last week of camp, every class is important, every EP monumental, every meal memorable, every song boisterous, every dance exuberant. Sunday provided a needed break for our bodies, spirits, and minds; we feel ready to make this week great.

The Counselor Talent Show was a great kick-off for the days to come. I am not typically a fan of the June Camp show. Don’t get me wrong, I always love seeing the counselors perform their silly acts. The acts feel “campy” and scratch that itch for a good old-fashioned variety show, but the counselor talent show isn’t nearly as good as the one the campers put on. Last night, however, the counselors took it to another level. It was excellent… from the first act, it was evident that this was going to be a show to remember. No campers wandered from the Pagent Court (girls often drift to the edges and play on the see-saws or huddle around card games if the program is not engaging). Last night, every camper watched with rapt attention, turning to friends with expressions of delight as each act unfolded with surprising little twists and turns. I wondered: Why is it so good this year?

The answer is, of course, the staff. We always hire an amazing staff. They gladly give their summers to work much harder than they ever have before, and are seldom recognized outside of camp for the effort. They arrived for training earlier than ever this year (starting training in mid-May to run Junior Camp). Rather than hiring a separate staff for Junior Camp (as we have done for years), our entire summer staff now handles them all (giving us a 1:1 camper-to-counselor ratio for our starter session). That ratio allowed the counselors the bandwidth to relax and enjoy the campers; to enter their world and play.

It is not easy for a grown-up to play. But at camp, everyone (no matter the age) plays. If you don’t learn how to play yourself, you are not going to succeed. I find it particularly necessary to play at Junior Camp. Surrounded by little children (25% are 7-year-olds, no one older than 11), we play nonstop and gain confidence in that lost skill. We are now PhDs in play, shining in every corner of camp. It makes for an amazing community and leads to delightful days.

Even as I bask in joy of the day, I am struck by a pang of impending loss. As the light of a candle is quickly extinguished, the moment of a season quickly passes. We are young only once and, in hindsight, recognize that the time was gone in an instant. Blink your eyes, and you are a senior citizen. The Psalmist got it right: As for man, he flourishes like a flower of the field; for the wind passes over it, and it is gone. Campers and counselors are discovering this truth (a good lesson to learn when one is young), and I am reminded of it myself. It makes me gratefully sad. Grateful for the moment, but sad it is ending.

Perhaps you felt this pang on Opening Day after that quick dropoff. Struck by the fact that your girl is growing up. Perhaps you felt the pang a few days into camp, yearning for more photos, recognizing the loss of those days that passed without a trace. Camp teaches us to appreciate the mundane details of life… at least that is what happens with me. If you find yourself thinking the same thing, allow that realization to change you into a better person. A person who sees the joy that surrounds and enters the moments with abandon. A person who joyfully dances, sings, laughs, and plays!

Breakfast: Bagels, cream cheese, sausage, blackberry preserves
Weather: Perfect 79, sunny
Joke: Spirit of the Sweet Little Dog
Lunch: Turkey BLTs
Dinner Chicken and Red Rice (a Southern tradition)
EP: Production Night (Dance, Drama, Cheer, Guitar, and other things)