We’ve reached the two-week mark, and camp is in full swing. The weather has been magnificent. Inter-camp games are being played in every sport. Camping trips depart almost every day of the week to beautiful national forests and majestic state parks. It is difficult for parents to understand all that takes place in camp on any given day.
Most boys are not great communicators. Parents run to their mailboxes in hopes of reading what their sons are doing at camp and often find a one-line letter giving no insight into their child’s experience. For some odd reason, letter writing has always taken place at rest hour. If you think about it, we ask our boys to stop, sit in a warm bunk in the middle of the day, and think about home. Candidly, I’m surprised that you receive any positive news. I often joke that the tone and length of letters would be much greater if we scheduled letter writing at half time of a basketball game, or in between innings of a baseball game.
Phone calls start this week at Camp Takajo. Parents are waiting with bated breath to glean any information, since they are clearly not getting it through the mail. When a boy’s name is called for a phone call, his heart starts to pound with nervous anticipation. While he cannot wait to speak with you, the emotion of hearing your voice for the first time in two weeks can be fairly overwhelming.
Sometimes, it can take a boy five or ten minutes to settle into the phone call, just about the time one of our lovely secretaries taps him on the shoulder and gives him the two-minute “warning.” His heart once again starts pounding, as your son thinks of everything he wants to say to you with only a few minutes remaining. While these phone calls can be emotional for you, they are very important and worthwhile. Hearing your voice creates a natural and healthy connection to home.
The phone calls remind your son that everything he left at home is still intact. It reinforces your confidence in his ability to make new friends, try new activities, and meet new challenges. As one who has the distinct honor of living with your child and seeing him in “real time,” I can ensure you he is growing and flourishing each and every day.
