It's no surprise that the coronavirus is affecting the summer camp life this year. I've been working for the same summer camp for the past eight years and I look forward to it every year. If you work for a summer camp, then you definitely know how it feels to have connections with the kids that you work with and see every year! It hurts my heart that I may not be able to see my amazing campers this summer! When you take the role as a camp counselor, it's way more than just watching over your group of kiddos every day!

You begin to create these relationships with these kids and your whole group during the summer becomes a family! Not only is it about the kiddos you're seeing everyday, but it's also about the amazing staff that you work with on a day to day basis! I have met some of my bestest friends at summer camp. Summer camp is really a time where you get to see those people that you can't see during the regular school year. It saddens me that I won't be able to walk into summer camp every morning and see my great staff and awesome kiddos! However I do want my campers to know a few things:

It's just for the summer.

I know it is hard to wrap your head around but things are eventually going to go back to normal and we will have summer camp again!

This is necessary.

I promise you that none of us are happy about the fact that we can't go to summer camp this year, but it is definitely necessary with the pandemic going on in our world right now! Taking these safety precautions will make it better for all of us in the long run and once we get back to having camp, it'll be better than ever!

You are smart! Take what we teach you at camp and use it at home this summer!

There is so much that we teach you as campers such as being a good friend to one another, treating people with respect, and just living in the moment! Try to implement all that while you're at home with your families this summer. The world could use a lot of those qualities right now!

Your camp counselors are rooting for you!

We know that this school year ended in an odd way and we know for many of you it was quite the adjustment! We want you to try and have a relaxing summer and try to focus on the positives! As much as we want you to be at camp this summer we also want you to take care of yourselves!

As hard as it is, I want my lovely campers to know that you are smart, you are strong, and we will all get through this together even if we are all in different places!