One of the most important lessons I am taught time and time again at camp is to appreciate the small things. I see how the small things matter day in and day out. I tend to be one who worries about all the little details and making sure everything is as close to perfect as possible. However, when you work at a summer camp, you quickly learn that nothing goes as planned and that you have to look at the bigger picture, realizing all the small steps that were taken to get to the point you are at.
Sometimes it's hard to tell people about my days at camp because I get overly excited about the little things such as a camper participating in an activity that they usually try to sit out or even when a camper uses a fork rather than hands at a meal time. To me, those are important to recognize because it brings simple joy to those who are around. I could be having a rough day and be stressed out to no end but then my campers have a way of doing one small thing that makes so much change in my life. Just take a minute and think about it- how many times do you smile at small things?
Often times, we only recognize the big changes and steps. Especially in college, it is always about what is the next step. I am a year away from graduating and I find myself thinking about what's next for me a lot. This takes away from looking at the small joys that are happening right now. It wasn't until recently when I figured out I was spending so much time thinking about if I would be back at camp next summer that I missed so much that was happening this summer. It is so easy to be thinking ahead but in a world that is full of people who are hurting or worrying, we need to learn to slow down and take pleasure in the simple things because they really do make a difference.
Camp gives me an opportunity to be looking for the small things because the campers thrive when you recognize them for the good things they are doing. It could be as simple as helping to pick up after an activity or partnering up with a camper they might not really like. These are the things that make me smile every day with my job. These are the memories I want to take with me into life after camp. I want to slow down and recognize the small wins. I know it is important to think about the next steps and where to go from where you are. However, this does not mean to blow right by what is going on in the here and now. Being present and seeing the small things can increase your daily happiness so I highly recommend trying to find more of the small things and less of the big things because the small wins matter.
