[The days go by with so many little things that don’t seem
to matter until they’re no longer there and suddenly, they’re all that ever
mattered.]
It’s just about the middle of the summer and here I am
sitting in a coffee shop on one of my mornings off. This is one of the first times I
have had the chance to sit down to have some alone time to reflect and just think without any
interruptions or distractions. This summer I am working at this amazing summer
camp and have the privilege of serving alongside the most wonderful individuals I’ve
ever met. Going into the beginning of the summer I knew it was going to fly by,
so I have been keeping track of the little things that make me smile each day
before our numbered days are done. Here are just a few that come to mind...
- Cuddle puddles in the grass before kids arrive
- Camp goggles and having a wingman to help sort it all out
- Watching campers advocate for themselves
- Learning new phrases and sayings (that don't always make sense, but you go along with anyways)
- Dance parties just about anywhere
- Warm hugs from good people
- Late night thunderstorms
- Having a stellar date to the camp dance (and wearing a pretty dress that just makes everything more amazing)
- Going to bed with a smile and waking up with an even bigger grin on your face
- Helping a child hit the target for the first time during archery
- Little girl's giggles that make you burst out laughing too
- The funniest things that kids say and the logic that they use to back up that crazy story they just told you
- Campfires with amazing performances by your best friend
- Finishing a really good book and having the urge to read another
- New and old friends all in one place
- Watching campers be brave and encourage others (when they still might be scared or nervous themselves)
- Cooling off in the pool and in a kayak on the lake
- The joy in the camper's voice when they tell their parents about the amazing week they just had at camp
- $5 movies and free popcorn on Tuesdays
- Loosing ourselves in the streets of Chicago
When I stop to think about all the little things that are going on around me in my life currently, all I can do is smile. My days are long but the weeks go by so fast. I am finding each day that it is the little things that matter and that will make up the big memory at the end of the summer. Every experience, memory, person and thing that I do is important. I am blessed beyond my years to have the chance to be the shining light in other people's lives. I can't wait to see what the rest of the summer has in store for me.
