I really thought I would be more of a mess.
There are bears, big cats, and mosquitos with zika virus. There are huge waves, strong undertows, and deep blue waters. There are people who are human and make errors. There are people who are evil predators. There's I-80 and US 50 ( if you don't know about the awful sex trafficking in our area, there are great resources and local orgs working relentlessly on saving our boys and girls). And scariest of all there is a 7 year old who is trusting and curious. SO curious!
For months I have been scared about Cass going to camp by herself, away from us for 4 nights and 5 days. Did you see that list of horrors previously mentioned? Like the soundtrack to an awful b-movie, these lists of what-ifs have been on repeat in the paranoid-ultra-hyper-over-protective part of my psyche.
And yesterday, the playlist stopped.
How blessed and privileged are we that our daughter gets to go to camp in Lake Tahoe?! And not just any camp, a camp we know and have been too before. We have taken students there for retreats. We have attended dinners and BBQs up there. We have visited with friends who lived and worked there (hey Reverend Liz!). The views are stunning. The food is impressive. The facilities are well kept and clean. The sanctuary is calm and serene, decorated in stained glass and the remnants of past wishes and prayers. The staff! The staff. Loving, accepting, and good at what they do. They embrace the camp's mission whole heartedly.
Cassidy's love of adventure is probably genetic, so there is no one to blame but myself and Mr. Smith. :-) She has been looking forward to camp since last year, knowing this would the first year she could attend. We drove up with her bunk buddy Nevada and Nevada's momma Laura. I had originally requested Cass be in a cabin (reference scary list above), but I got a call from the camp that Nevada got a spot in the teepee and would Cassidy still like to be her bunk buddy? Without hesitation, I answered yes. My fears should not prohibit my child from fully experiencing life. Especially when they are slightly ridiculous. Ok, more than slightly. Maybe a lot.
Parenting is hard. Go, be free child! But watch out for this and that over there and don't go do this and be careful here! Parenting is exhausting.
Camp is fun. Really fun. It was non-stop chatter and giggling all the way up the mountain. We get out of the car, and immediately they are at the playground, exploring games, and wanting to go to the beach. There were other kids we know and that also makes me feel better. Cassidy makes friends anywhere, but having a few there already is nice too.
And this teepee! They have cots and comfy REI blow up pads, and twinkle lights...and a fan! Are you kidding me? It's a junior version of Glamping in the Woods. There will be swimming, hiking, kayaking, ropes courses, scary ghost stories, s'mores, and all of those things that make childhood fun.
Drop off and leaving was so much easier for me than I thought it would be. There were no tears. Cass was raring to go and eager for me to depart so she could get on with having fun. Heck, I want to go to camp! When we pick her up on Saturday, she probably will be filthy. But I am betting there will be a smile a mile wide , a million stories, and promises to return next year.
There are bears, big cats, and mosquitos with zika virus. There are huge waves, strong undertows, and deep blue waters. There are people who are human and make errors. There are people who are evil predators. There's I-80 and US 50 ( if you don't know about the awful sex trafficking in our area, there are great resources and local orgs working relentlessly on saving our boys and girls). And scariest of all there is a 7 year old who is trusting and curious. SO curious!
For months I have been scared about Cass going to camp by herself, away from us for 4 nights and 5 days. Did you see that list of horrors previously mentioned? Like the soundtrack to an awful b-movie, these lists of what-ifs have been on repeat in the paranoid-ultra-hyper-over-protective part of my psyche.
And yesterday, the playlist stopped.
How blessed and privileged are we that our daughter gets to go to camp in Lake Tahoe?! And not just any camp, a camp we know and have been too before. We have taken students there for retreats. We have attended dinners and BBQs up there. We have visited with friends who lived and worked there (hey Reverend Liz!). The views are stunning. The food is impressive. The facilities are well kept and clean. The sanctuary is calm and serene, decorated in stained glass and the remnants of past wishes and prayers. The staff! The staff. Loving, accepting, and good at what they do. They embrace the camp's mission whole heartedly.
Cassidy's love of adventure is probably genetic, so there is no one to blame but myself and Mr. Smith. :-) She has been looking forward to camp since last year, knowing this would the first year she could attend. We drove up with her bunk buddy Nevada and Nevada's momma Laura. I had originally requested Cass be in a cabin (reference scary list above), but I got a call from the camp that Nevada got a spot in the teepee and would Cassidy still like to be her bunk buddy? Without hesitation, I answered yes. My fears should not prohibit my child from fully experiencing life. Especially when they are slightly ridiculous. Ok, more than slightly. Maybe a lot.
Parenting is hard. Go, be free child! But watch out for this and that over there and don't go do this and be careful here! Parenting is exhausting.
Camp is fun. Really fun. It was non-stop chatter and giggling all the way up the mountain. We get out of the car, and immediately they are at the playground, exploring games, and wanting to go to the beach. There were other kids we know and that also makes me feel better. Cassidy makes friends anywhere, but having a few there already is nice too.
And this teepee! They have cots and comfy REI blow up pads, and twinkle lights...and a fan! Are you kidding me? It's a junior version of Glamping in the Woods. There will be swimming, hiking, kayaking, ropes courses, scary ghost stories, s'mores, and all of those things that make childhood fun.
Drop off and leaving was so much easier for me than I thought it would be. There were no tears. Cass was raring to go and eager for me to depart so she could get on with having fun. Heck, I want to go to camp! When we pick her up on Saturday, she probably will be filthy. But I am betting there will be a smile a mile wide , a million stories, and promises to return next year.
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