Crumpled duct tape balls littered the grass under the big white tent. Our cabin was crafting a duct tape and cardboard chariot for the race and my little camper K was trying hard to rip the duct tape pieces we needed. After watching for several minutes and seeing how much tape was going to waste, I decided to intervene, inciting an “adults only” tape-ripping rule.
With as much frustration as her tiny body could muster, she started yelling and stomped off to sit at a picnic table nearby. After giving her space for a few minutes, I walked over and sat down next to her.
“I just want to do something on my own without help!! Everybody thinks I’m too small,” she exclaimed.
I explained that we don’t want to waste the tape, but the Holy Spirit gently nudged me.
“Go get a roll of tape and bring it here,” I said.
First, I showed her how to hold your fingers to get the maximum pinch for ripping tape.
Next, I ripped a tiny tear and let her finish the ripping, giving her time to run it over and attach it to our chariot.
Then I let her practice ripping it independently a few times and gave her the roll of duct tape back with a congratulatory “I think you are ready to do it on your own now!”
Arms were thrown around my neck and a kiss planted on my cheek before I realized what was happening. “Thank you so much!! This is the best day ever!!” – who knew duct tape independence would bring so much joy?!
Several days later, I was telling her adoptive Mama the story, and her mom got tears in her eyes as she told me “K was so frustrated at the camp she went to a few weeks ago because they wouldn’t really let her help with anything.” I quickly reassured her that K was a perfect fit for our camp and we adored her.
Imagine if I hadn’t listened to the Holy Spirit’s idea?
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"All the rich, all the poor, all the people, all yours. We are daughters, we are sons, more than mortals, we are royals!" - North Point Worship's song "We Are Royals", a camp favorite
What do you do when you are entrusted with royalty?
You serve. This week, I became the Director of Sanitary Services as I tracked down pads and tampons, dealt supplies from the front pocket of my backpack stash, and scrubbed blood out of swimsuits before our Friday morning swim.
You celebrate. We braided hair in the bathroom, donned fancy dresses and masks, and walked the red carpet for the Masquerade Birthday Ball.
You sing. "Don't Stop Believin'" turned into a hand-waving rock concert and "Church Clap" kept us stomping, hopping, and clapping. Camp songs filled every crevice of our beings as we sang them over and over.
You laugh. Kid notes are the best, but we are extra thankful for our Camp Grandmas who read and check the notes. One of my campers wrote a letter to the directors with the phrase "to make love" but after a few moments realized that she was trying to write, "to make camp fun. Love, K" and had missed a few words when copying the message. Or the moment we get about as far as you can from a bathroom at camp and my camper has to pee badly. I looked at another counselor, and reading my mind about peeing in the woods, they nod their head yes. Presenting the idea to my camper, she yells "Yes! I do that all the time." Who knew?!
You exalt. The psychologists disagree on how many positive experiences are needed to negate a negative one, yet one thing is for sure, at camp we are passionate about building kids up! One of my camp highlights is getting to emcee the Thursday Night Talent Show. I bet you've never seen acts like ours - blind-folded archery, walking thumbs and touching noses with tongues, hammering nails into wood, and Minecraft recitation with "skeleton" and "mutant" every few words. There's singing and dancing and fishing stories and jokes. There is laughter and there are tears and we only follow one rule - we never boo, we only cheer!
You cry. My camper got up at the talent show and sang and danced to “You are Gold" by The National Parks -- and just like she proudly stated, "Even the mens [sic] had tears in their eyes!"
You teach. In a thousand moments throughout life, only those who slow long enough to capture them become teachers. Some of the lessons this week...the meaning of "intermission," how to read clothing labels and select clothing that fits, how to use a worm to cover the hook when fishing, and navigating girl drama graciously.
You show up. My camper I told me, "I only want to keep coming back as staff if you are here as a counselor still." We have been together for 5 years, her and I, and this year she graduates camp. She took time to write me a thank you note this year - the purple ink staining the card like the camp color of purple stains my heart. Fifteen years I've been at this counselor-in-training/counselor-out-of-training-but-still-learning gig. That's more than half my life and it never fails to astound me. Presence is a powerful thing and Royal Family KIDS Camp demonstrates that in a powerful way.
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5 days of laughter, tears, protection, late nights, early mornings, teaching, learning, pivoting plans, wisdom-seeking, and loving hard. That's what Royal Family KIDS Camp is. And in the midst of those lessons, we make jewelry, catch fish, canoe, sing, and play endless rounds of gaga ball. Kids ARE the worthy work.
The For the Children website says it best, "Royal Family KIDS Camp fosters resiliency, self-esteem, hope and positive memories. The camp curriculum and activities are woven through the modality of Trust-Based Relational Intervention to ensure our children are experiencing truly life giving activities throughout the 5-day experience."
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