There ain't no flies on us!

Day 8 Gratitude - Summer Camp

Everyone once in a while, or sometimes more frequently, I have an "ah-ha" moment on just how great my parents were when I was growning up. Now don't get me wrong, I have many "Aargghhhg" and "I still can't believie they said/did that" moments as well; my parents were far from perfect. But they did a lot of things right. Sending me away at the tender age of seven for two weeks of sleep away camp was one of those "great" things. (Although I still wonder why they sent me away and never my older sister? Something for another blog.)

As we all settle into winter's drafty, cold, dull, blustery days many parents who work out of the home are already thinking about summer. And when we think about summer, we think about school being out. And with no school, that means we need to figure out what we are going to do to make sure our kids have tons of fun and are so exhausted by the end of the day they don't complain about going to bed when the sun is still up. In our house that means summer camp. Our eldest, at my vehement encouragement, and reluctant enthusiasm of her Dad, is taking the plunge into the foray of summer camp. At this point I amWAY more excited about it than she it, but I am confident she will get there; even if it is two days after she actually gets to camp.

Am I living vicariosly though my daughter; absolutely. Some of my best memories of all time between the ages of seven and 16 are from summer camp. The four or six weeks I spent at Kamp Kanawana in the Quebec Laurentiens each of those summers taught me so many things while I was there, and even more now that I look back. Camp is definitely one of THE most defining factors of my life. That experience is something I thank my parents for often, and am grateful that we are in a position to be able to extend the same opportunity to our kids.

So while E won't be caring on as the fourth generation of my family to go to Kanawana, I have no doubt (even though she has hers) that her time at sleep away camp this summer will be as smooth as a J-stroke on a calm lake in the early mist of summer's morning, and that it will be the first of her many summers of great sleep away camp experiences.