Still can’t get your mind off summer camp? You don’t have to! We’re going to be posting all the stories we received our ‘Share Your Camp Story’ Contest here at Everything Summer Camp through the rest of the year! Your stories have been great so far and I can’t wait to share them with our online community! By the time we’re done, every story will be featured right here on the Blog.
Today’s post comes from Naiomie M., who shared her experience dropping off her younger sister at Jamaica YMCA. The story starts right now…
“Summer of 2011, I walked my little sister to her middle school, where the school buses were lined up and parents/guardians were dropping off their children (in my case my sister) for Summer camp. It was her first day, and she was anxious. As soon as we arrived, she started to cry, pleading with me not to leave her and begging to go home. Seeing her so upset, I couldn't help but give in, and we returned home. That evening, our family sat down with her to talk about how summer camp was nothing like school. It was about exploring, trying out new activities and making new friends. The next day, when I dropped her off again, she was still teary-eyed, but just as I was about to leave, she suddenly smiled and said she saw her friend. This memory always reminds me of a quote from The Good Dinosaur: ‘Sometimes you got to get through your fear to see the beauty on the other side.’”
Thank you so much for sharing this heartfelt memory with us! It sounds like such a challenging yet rewarding moment for both you and your sister. It’s never easy to see someone we care about struggle, but the way your family supported her and encouraged her to embrace the camp experience is truly inspiring. Her courage to return the next day, even with lingering nerves, and then finding a friend right before you left, must have felt like a triumph for both of you. It’s amazing how a little reassurance and a familiar face can make all the difference. That quote from The Good Dinosaur sums it up pretty perfectly!
Thanks again for writing in to us, Naiomie. You must be a great older sister! Nice work on seeing your little sister to her own path of independence, growth, and authenticity! As always, thanks for reading, Everyone! Come on back later this week when we post our next story from Camp Lake Hubert. Till next time.
- John