We took her to the school where they were supposed to meet and there were so many kids there and I wondered how the few leaders and camp counselors would make sure that my kid was safe and okay and well taken care of.
I thought about her a lot during the week and wondered if she was happy. Because a week away from the family can be pretty depressing if things aren't going well. But I didn't let negative thoughts creep in and I just knew that I couldn't do anything about it even if she wasn't having the time of her life. Things like this are good for kids. They get to learn how to rely on themselves and trust themselves to make things happen or to get things done. That's how confidence grows. And I'm all about giving my kids opportunities for their confidence to grow.
Things were different with Brita gone. With even one person missing from the family for a week, the dynamics are different. It's interesting to me how we get in our mode of doing things without really giving it much thought. But when something changes and interrupts our flow, regardless of how smooth or choppy that "flow" might be", we notice it and I felt a hole.
I couldn't wait to pick her up and I welled up with mother-joy when she caught my eye while getting off the bus, high-fiving all the camp counselors with a big smile on her face and joy in her eyes. I knew it had been a good week and I was grateful.
She's talking non-stop about Big Springs. We're learning a lot of camp songs and skits and hearing about some of the cool counselors. I see some of that confidence welling up in her. And I also see the bright eyes of her sister, just one year younger, anticipating her turn away from home at Big Springs next year. And I can't wait for her to have her own experience there one summer from now and to see how it changes her.
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