Every camper remembers their favorite memories from camp. From going down the biggest water slide to riding horses, each child has those special moments that they would not trade the world for. The same is true for counselors. We all have moments from each summer that we vividly remember, both good and bad.
Here are just a few that stood out to me that I know us counselors can all relate to:
1. When you went into a full on panic because you could not find one of your kids.
It happened to the best of us. You counted your kids 16 times and kept coming up one short. Your co-counselor started yelling their name while you tried to keep the other kids from running off. It hit you that you might be taking this too seriously and the kid is probably just in the bathroom but you did not care. You tried to keep your cool as the image of you boss firing you for losing a camper played through your mind over and over. When you thought it was all over, your long lost camper wandered back to the group after a bathroom break. Your heart rate returned to normal and you continued on with your day.
2 .The first time a camper told you they loved you.
For me, it was at bedtime on the second or third night of my first week of working. We hugged each one of the girls goodnight before they climbed into their bunks. I hugged one of my campers tightly and told her goodnight. Her response was a simple "Thanks. I love you." It is something no counselor ever forgets.
3. The moment when your co-counselor left you at the worse possible time.
Where would we be without our co-counselors? The answer is dead, which is probably where you thought you would end up when your co left you for ten minutes that one time. In that ten minutes you had to deal with two bloody noses, one missing kid, and four stops at the bathroom. You are lucky they made it back before you went insane.
4. When one of your quieter campers got the biggest smile on their face because of something you did.
It usually happened during the middle of the week. You would be laughing and joking when you looked over and saw it. That one camper who you had been working on all week to open up had the hugest smile on his/her face. You felt accomplished, happy, and truly excited for you camper and your whole cabin. It is a priceless moment and the reason why we do our job.
5. That time when one of your campers would not get out of the pool.
This is basically every pool time. I worked with kids from ages 7 to 14 and, without a doubt, 7 year olds are some of the most stubborn human beings I have ever met. But, adding a pool to the mix was a whole new ball game.
6. The first time your boss or an older staff member complimented you.
Working with kids is hard. The job is not one that should be taken lightly and it is definitely not for everyone. It takes a special kind of person to be a counselor and an even more special kind of person to be a great one. That is why when you received a compliment from an older counselor who you looked up to, it made your whole day. It might have bee has simple as "Hey, that activity you planned worked so well!" or "You were great this summer, your kids loved you." It made a huge impact on you helped you realize your true potential as a counselor.
7. When you realized how out of shape you were (AKA when a camper actually beat you in some form of physical activity).
At camp, the philosophy is usually to let the campers win. Sometimes, between little sleep and not-so-healty eating habits, you did not have to let them win. It just happened.
8. That time when half of your socks went missing.
Basically any time you needed a pair of socks, they were never there. Or there was one and not the other.
9. When you started crying on the last day of the summer.
We all told ourselves it would not happen but it was inevitable. After pouring weeks of your summer into this job, waking up at 7:00 every morning, singing songs for hours, holding hands till your fingers hurt, and touching numerous lives, the end of the summer seemed unreal. Your life seems completely different from the start of the summer and you can not imagine what summer would have been without camp. With a list of memories this long, water works were bound to happen.
Moments last a lifetime and these are just a few of the moments us counselors will never forget.
