If you were in Maine today, you would not believe that the predicted forecast for this weekend could be accurate. We had another perfect day. Temperatures reached the low eighties, and there was a gentle breeze across the campus the entire day. We are giving a lot of thought to our parents’ visiting days, coming this weekend at Takajo.
Like any good host, I am doing everything I can to figure out how I can make my guests feel comfortable. Our facility is fortunate to have beautiful towering pines that provide places to get out of the sun. Our dining room is air-conditioned, which will give some needed relief for those who are needing a little break from the humidity during the day. Of course, there is nothing more refreshing than a dip in our beautiful lake. Our lifeguards will do their best to accommodate all our guests. There are water fountains stationed all around the camp, and we will have bottled water on our Commons deck throughout the day.
We have eight golf carts that will act as shuttles around camp, providing extra assistance for anyone who needs some help getting around the facility. Warren and I will be down by the office and waterfront area throughout the day and will do our best to accommodate your needs. I am so excited for our parents to have this opportunity to reconnect with their sons.
While we may have to shift to a modified hot day program, we want to do everything we can to give you a true sense of what your son’s experience has been this summer. I am proud of my staff and the devotion they have provided to our boys, and I am anxious for you to meet them and watch them working with your sons.
JAK and Max, 2009
As I was thinking of the emotion that occurs on these visiting days, I was reminded of an experience that I had in camp with my son Max when he was just six years old. Max had moved into a bunk and was part of our regular program. I was doing my best to let him have a normal camp experience, so I steered clear from where he was in camp. However, on this particular day in the dining room, our eyes connected and Max immediately broke down into tears. Being an experienced camp director and having over twenty years of experience under my belt at the time, I did what any father would do and discarded all of my professional wisdom and reacted emotionally. I made a beeline towards my son to help him during his moment of need.
I was thinking that perhaps I should bring him back to my home, that he was too young to be living in a bunk, and that I should be proud of the fact that he was willing to try this experience. After all, that alone was a great accomplishment. As all of these thoughts were flooding into my head, I felt a hand on my shoulder, and it was Max’s counselor. In a quiet voice, looking me straight in the eye, this young man said to me, “I got this. Step away.”
The counselor took my son, sat him down at the dinner table, fed him a hamburger and engaged him in conversation. My little boy was tired, hungry, and a little overwhelmed, and I was about to step in and ruin his camp experience. I think back to that moment often because had it not been for one of my counselors who intervened, I may have lowered the bar for my own son by allowing him to step away from the first time he faced some adversity.
As parents, we can’t help ourselves. We love our children with every ounce of our being, and there is nothing we wouldn’t give up or do for them. Some of you may be tested this weekend. Some of you may have my “Max moment,” and some of you may be prepared to make the same emotional decision that I almost made with my son. Camp is the perfect opportunity to teach our children valuable life lessons, and I for one am thankful that I allowed my son to learn resiliency at a very young age at camp.
