We all know that life is too short and this past weekend that was affirmed once again by the horrific flooding of the River Guadalupe in Texas. The headlines that hit us all were the headlines sharing the news of the number of young campers from Camp Mystic that were lost in the floodwaters. As the weekend has progressed those numbers have changed. Miraculously some have been found alive while others, sadly, have been found deceased. The emotions are overwhelming when I think about it all. And I am not one of the parents or loved ones. I can not begin to imagine.
Our area is flush with camps. We have dozens of camps of all kinds in our beautiful county and beyond and we drive past them daily. We see the campers in town, on the river, on horseback and on bike trails and hiking trails all over. Our community thrives on campers and the families that bring them year after year. There is a deep history and lineage of campers in this area and it is one of those summer experiences that many enjoy.
My own experience as a youth was going to church camp and being a camp counselor as well. I was always a bit “scared” to go to camp but as a teenager I finally figured out what I was missing out on. My experiences at Epworth Park in Bethesda, Ohio were positive parts of my teenage years and I still hold fond memories of those days. So I get it. I get how the camp experience can be an enriching and amazing experience in the life of a child.
As a parent we try to expose our children to all of the experiences that will encourage and enhance their lives. When we leave them at a camp or at school or anyplace, we leave a part of ourselves there as well. We never anticipate never seeing them again. But these parents and loved ones, that is exactly what happened.
We just finished Fama and PopPops Summer Camp with our sweet Theo on Friday. While it was not a “real” summer camp, it was our summer camp. It was perfect. More on that another day. But to know that our son and daughter in law entrusted him to our care is humbling. We don’t take it lightly and we did our best to keep him safe.
I have read so many reports over the past few days and tributes and they all just tear at my heart. But perhaps the one that hit me the hardest was by my favorite southern author, Sean Dietrich. If you haven’t read his words, please click here to go directly to his post that moved me to tears.
