Greetings from Hilltop. It’s another beautiful day at camp. Today is Sunday, and as I write, the campers are busy with their Sunday work projects. It’s a funny moment in the four-week span of camp, the time when I start to notice what I think of as the “parade of lasts.” The last nighttime staff meeting, the last proper Sunday, the last Folk Dance. Each one is a little reminder that we are nearing the end.
There’s just one week left of camp. The seniors are out on their trips and will return on Wednesday. When they do, we’ll begin our traditional “final four” evening activities, which often mark the best stretch of the summer. On Thursday evening we’ll have Talent, No Talent, the camp talent show. Friday brings Pins and Slides, when we award pins for each activity area and share a slideshow of the session. Saturday night is the CT Dance, when we dance the night away. And on Sunday, after packing day, we’ll close the session with our final Evening Fire.
Each of these four evenings, in its own way, offers both celebration and reflection. The fact that we end with the same four events every year creates a shared awareness. Everyone notices at once that we are nearing the end. When we realize that our time together is short, and therefore even more valuable.
We are not quite there yet, though. One of the gifts of camp is that it centers us in the here and now. We are focused on the people around us, the activities we are doing, and the feelings we are feeling. What we affectionately call “the real world” fades into the background. But it also means that when there needs to be a shift in energy, it sometimes takes a little nudge to get us there. Right now, it almost feels like we have always been here together and always will be, even though those of us who have done this a long time know our days are numbered.
I have encouraged the staff to notice this parade of lasts and to share those moments of celebration and reflection with the campers, even before the final four evenings arrive. Still, camp has its own rhythms, and we cannot and would not want to rush them. Being present with each other is one of the great joys of this place.
Today, we will enjoy another wonderful camp Sunday. This afternoon brings the Barden Fair, a celebration of our barn and garden activity areas. This evening we will gather for Evening Fire. Tomorrow, we’ll get back to activities and have our final Folk Dance of the session. We will make the most of every jewelry ceremony, every round of nighttime songs after evening activity, and every hug from a good friend.
Thank you, as always, for sharing your children with us. It has been an extraordinary session so far, and we are looking forward to making the most of our last week together.