Like last Tuesday, I’m going to share a memorable story from my unit of 8-9 year old campers at Camp Kesem a few weeks ago.
(Note: I’m not using the campers’ real names)
This is a story of 9 year-old camper “Jenny.” She came to camp last year and was really excited to come back again this year.
Jenny had tried scaling the rock climbing wall twice last year, but came down about half way up each time. This year, as our unit of campers was heading over to the rock climbing area, she came up to me and kept telling me that she was going to make it to the top this time.
Well, the first time Jenny went up, she got about 3/4ths of the way up the wall before looking down. That’s when the heights and fear set in and she wanted to come down.
Since our group of campers was relatively quick, Jenny got a another shot at the end of our session. She was hesitant and initially didn’t want to, but bravely decided to give it a go.
Off she went, fast up the wall, without much of a flinch. But as Jenny got to that 3/4ths point again, she looked down and became scared again. She really wanted to just give up and be let down. From down below, I could see that she had tears streaming, wobbly legs, and a look of complete terror in her eyes.
But when Jenny looked down again, all she saw was support. All the other same-aged campers and counselors from the unit had stood up, walked to the wall, and was cheering her on. Jenny may have wanted to give up, but the unit wouldn’t let her.
I don’t remember who let out the first cheer, but it was definitely a camper. Those initial words of encouragement got the whole group going, almost like a rallying call. Everyone started chanting “Jen-ny! Jen-ny! Jen-ny!”
Jenny, still sobbing, turned her head back up and climbed those last rocks. With each step, the roar got louder. It felt like we were all up there with her.
It was amazing when we all saw Jenny reach the top and ring the bell. She came down half-smiling and half-sobbing, and was instantly given many high-fives and “good jobs!”
This was probably the most inspirational moment from my week at camp.
Later in the week, I saw Jenny beaming with the hugest smile, telling other kids that she made it all the way to the top :)
If you know me from Camp Kesem, I’m not usually known as Stanley, I’m Flash.
Flash is my camp name that was bestowed upon me at camp counselor retreat two years ago and it has served me well ever since. I think the name comes from the fact that I love running and ran cross country and track in high school.
If you’re familiar with Harry Potter, the camp naming ceremony is kind of like the sorting hat, except the sorting hat is all of your peers. It’s pretty intimidating but also fun to sit in a chair in the middle of the room and have others yell out names for you.
Over the years, the name Flash has definitely grown on me and become a big part of who I am.
Below is my name tag from camp this year. I was a unit leader for the 8-9 year old yellow toucan group.
I’ll be stepping in as a Co-Chair (with Jazzle!) of Camp Kesem Berkeley this year.
I’m still riding that unbelievable post-camp wave and ready to hit the ground running. Super excited for another year of magic :)
So today’s my last first day of school…
I think it’ll feel mighty weird to not be in school at this time next year. It’s been such a permanent in my young life so far that I don’t know much else. I’m confident in my ability to adapt though, and will welcome it as a breath of fresh air.
But that’s later. Now, it’s time for class. Gotta run!
I experienced so many inspirational moments this past week at Camp Kesem. I’ll share with you one of these moments that happened on the first day.
(Note: I’m not using the campers’ real names)
My unit of campers was at the arts and crafts rotation, working on making paper mache safari animals. One of the campers, 8-year-old “Joey” finished his project a little earlier than the rest. I saw him go over and help another boy, “Tommy” finish. Seeing this, I went up to Joey and told him that it was really nice of him to help Tommy. Without hesitation, Joey turned to me and replied, “Well, that’s what friends are for.” :)
Joey’s comment brought a huge smile to my face. Keep in mind that this happened in the afternoon of the first day, so Joey and Tommy had hardly even met. It warms my heart to know that kids as young as eight can be so compassionate.
