Wishing You Joy This Holiday Season

Yesterday marked this year’s Winter Solstice.  This longest night and shortest day of the year has traditionally been a time to express gratitude and set intentions for the new year ahead.  While we are officially entering Winter, a time for reflection and rest, we also know that each day brings a little more daylight.  As we enter this holiday season, we have a lot to be thankful for and many hopes for the year ahead.

What’s Most Important

As we experienced a second year of living with a pandemic, our society could no longer just press pause, we had to find a way to continue forward.  Superlatives to describe our experience are falling flat, and we are now left with a clearer picture of what’s most important, our connection with each other.  Humans are social creatures and therefore it’s not sustainable to distance ourselves too much for too long.  We all had to be serious about our self care, make really difficult decisions, and be intentional about how, when, and with whom we connected.  

Gratitude

Everyone at Gwynn Valley is incredibly grateful to those parents who entrusted us with their children this past summer.  While we may have had to rethink many of our systems and programs at camp, we were excited to make camp happen.  We are also grateful to all the staff who brought to life Gwynn Valley’s mission and vision for another year.  In line with Miss Mary’s original vision of providing a “child’s world”, Gwynn Valley continues to provide a magical place for our campers. During their stay, campers immerse themselves in the simple joys of childhood.  They get dirt under their nails as they dig for potatoes and laugh as they play games on the green.  Campers swell with pride when they climb to the top of the climbing wall or hit a bull’s eye with a bow and arrow.  Most importantly, they connect with old and new friends. These memories made at camp will last a lifetime.  

Hope for the Year Ahead

It is our hope for the year ahead that we can all enjoy the simple joys in life.  The holiday season is full of many traditions: enjoying sweet treats, giving to those in need, lighting candles in faith traditions, and spending time with loved ones, to name a few.  As we celebrate this holiday season, may these traditions remind us of the things that are most important and rekindle hope for the future.  Just as the small increments of daylight add up each day past the winter solstice, these moments of simple joys add up to a brighter, more joyous life.