When I was growing up, my parents always had their pearls of wisdom that I would hear time and time again. These little nuggets have stuck with me, and I find myself using them now that I’m a dad and a surrogate father to hundreds of boys every summer.
One expression I would often hear was that my parents were only as happy as their least content child. In our very busy household, it seemed that there was always something to celebrate, and there was always a challenge to navigate. My parents never looked to fix our challenges. They felt it was important for us to absorb an age-appropriate amount of struggle to learn perseverance and how to overcome moments of adversity. Many of the principles that I learned in my childhood apply to everyday life in camp.
Our counselors have become emotionally invested in your boys, and they take great pride in the families that they’ve created in their cabins. Just as any parent does, they feel sad when one of their boys is struggling. So often in group living, the difference between a cohesive, happy environment and a fragmented one is the ability of its members to communicate.
This morning, I sat with a bunk of Seniors and listened to these adolescent boys as they expressed frustration regarding their bunk dynamics. Inherently, they all care for one another. Yet at times, one’s personal habits or idiosyncrasies can get on the nerves of their fellow bunkmates. It could be as simple as slamming the bunk door, playing music too loudly, staying in the bathroom too long, leaving their dirty clothing on the floor, or using a flashlight too late after lights out when others are tired and want to go to bed. None of these habits are meant to intentionally disrupt the flow of a bunk, but all of them can cause frustration and resentment.
In my discussion this morning, some boys in the bunk had a list of silly complaints that the “culprit” was oblivious about. Once he received this constructive feedback in the spirit in which it was intended, there was immediate peace and harmony restored to the bunk. While we’re picking up the pace of camp and the boys are enjoying the out-of-camp big trips and special events, we never lose sight of the importance of learning how to live with and respect each other.
