Old Hand Good Heart

Today is our first day back at Medomak Family Camp in Maine. We have come four times in the last five years, only missing the year that Carter went to school in Taiwan during the summer. We are old hands at camp. Knowing the routines, the counselors who returned, the games, the rules. But of course there are new things, new people, and new activities to try.

On the first day the camp counselors do a great job at helping people get to know each other, learn everyone’s names and something about them to help you remember them. This session we have a large German family reunion at camp. That means there are some kids and grown ups alike who don’t speak English well if at all. I wonder if they knew what family camp was going to be like.

Jakie, the main head cheerleading counselor had us play a universal, not-much-English needed game of rock paper scissors. The twist to the game was once you played someone the loser of that game had to become the cheerleader for the person they lost to. Then the winner would play another winner with their cheerleader screaming their name behind them. The winner of that round would not only get the loser as their cheer leader, but all their cheerleaders had to convert to cheer for the new winner.

Carter was a big winner, with about 60 people cheering her name. There was one tiny little blond girl, maybe only about 4 years old who had about five people cheering for her left to play Carter. There was giant Carter looking down at this little Lou-who of a child. The cheering Carter’s name was deafening and probably very scary for this poor child. Carter knelt down so she could be eye to eye with her.

“Rock, Paper, Scissors, Shoot.” The giant cheering crowd for Carter were unaware of exactly who Carter’s opponent was, but they just kept chanting, “Carter, Carter.” Then Carter stood up and said the little girl was the winner. As the crowd dispersed for the next game Carter whispered to me, “I let that little girl win, she looked so scared.”

It’s these little chances to be your best self that camp offers that I love.