The Magic of Small Moments at Camp
I peer out onto the Lake from my little office window. The view is beautiful. The trees are bright shades of orange, yellow, and red, and I’m immediately filled with gratitude for Gwynn Valley and all that it offers us. Then I find myself reminiscing about a greener time at camp, just two months ago, when 300 people were here creating life-long memories. It’s comforting to think that in only eight short months, we’ll get to experience that incredible joy all over again. As I think back on the summer, I find myself with a list of favorite memories that could fill a book, but I want to share just one that stands out.
It was the end of Mountainside 3 , or the start of E Session for our younger campers, and it was colder than I have ever experienced at camp during the summer. It poured rain for days, and I was bundled up as best I could. This might not sound like the makings of a favorite memory, but stay with me. Of course, the cold and rain arrived just in time for the Mountainside Adventures. For this session, I was to join the backpacking group. So the packing days went by and there we were, standing at the top of Black Balsam where it was 40 degrees, pouring rain and (within minutes) I was already soaking wet. Keep in mind, many of us (myself included) were wearing shorts. Really setting the example, right?
Despite the less than ideal weather, spirits were high as we started our trek. After hours in the freezing rain, my enthusiasm began to wane. By the time we reached camp, I was colder than I’ve ever been, and I’m from North Dakota, so that’s really saying something. But then I looked around and saw the campers, busy setting up their sites, laughing and grinning through the downpour. They were loving it. I had to pause and take it in, how lucky I was to be surrounded by a group who, in such a small moment, reminded me what camp is all about. Later that night, when (of course) all the tarps had flooded, we piled into the lean-to shelter to brace for the cold night ahead. One of the counselors pulled out her copy of Peak, a favorite among the middle school crowd, and began to read aloud. We sat there for hours, huddled together, listening to the rain and wind outside, until one by one, we all drifted off to sleep.
It’s moments like these, simple, imperfect, and full of connection, that bring us back to camp year after year. We did end up getting picked up early from our adventure because of the weather, but the rest of that session turned out to be some of the most fun I’ve ever had at camp. Those eight months until summer can’t go by soon enough!
