The Magic of the Summer We Never Wanted to End
It’s official. The summer is over and fall is here.
The summer that none of us wanted to end. Thank you for being a part of that by choosing to make Camp Carysbrook a part of your lives and your campers’. The 92nd summer was as perfect as any living thing can be. It was perfect for so many reasons: we had a tremendously dedicated and talented staff; an incredible cross-section of campers from different backgrounds, states and around the world; and the facilities while still rustic received a lot of TLC in the off season providing a safe and natural environment in which to play and learn. Yet, it was perfect in its imperfections as well because even when things went wrong, everyone pulled together to make it right. Campers were homesick and left camp at the end of a session already planning to return. The power went out and we turned on our flashlights and had one of the most memorable “Dancing with the Stars” evening programs in history. It thundered and lightning lit up the sky and cabins huddled on the floor playing S-P-I-T and Go Fish until peace and quiet and the sound of the bullfrogs at the lake lulled everyone back to sleep.
In the winter office, Erika and I have revisited every memory to try to understand what made this summer so remarkable. And if you are one of the parents who asked me how the summer went, you will know that I was quick to attribute much of the success to our 2015 staff. And I still do. They were competent and professional and they were all there for the same reasons and we believe that this is what had a significant impact. The 2015 staff made it their mission to mentor and empower the girls at camp regardless of their backgrounds, cultures or abilities in an effort to be their best selves.
And that’s it. We all practiced the Carysbrook philosophy and it permeated everything we did from the hiring to orientation of staff to cabin assignments and activities and evening program.
“Camp Carysbrook strives to provide a social and physical environment that promotes, develops and enhances the emotional, social, and spiritual potential of each camper and assists them in the discovery and enjoyment of themselves and the richness of life as they grow and develop.”
And the most rewarding thing we have experienced is to see this philosophy trickle down and see the campers live by it as well. The positive energy that was the outcome of helping each other despite our differences fuelled an unforgettable summer. We learned and grew and made mistakes and bounced back together. We faced challenges out of our control and we coped and learned what we were made of… with each other to lean on. Camp Carysbrook girls know how meaningful this synergy is and what it means to be resilient. We are a special community that defies time and age in order to find connection in this world. We established ties. Just like the Little Prince said.
“If you tame me, then we shall need each other. To me, you will be unique in all the world. To you, I shall be unique in all the world….”
The richness of life.
A summer to remember.
And the impossibility of putting the magic into words. But then again, “the most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or touched, they are felt with the heart.” Antoine de St. Exupery
