It has been a crazy day, so I will conclude with a very short blog about one of my favorite traditions: Vespers.

Vespers is simply a time we get together on Sunday nights and talk about gratitude and celebrate our community. 

It is not religious, but we do talk about important stuff.

Today, we shared some “Grateful Deeds” – short thank-you’s for people who have made our camp lives better.  I thanked the counselors for their commitment.  Campers thanked the kitchen team – especially as they are doing 6 meals a day rather than 3.  Another thanked the nurses.  Several acknowledged the Senior Campers. 

I then shared the story of the Warrior vs the Worrier (see the previous blog). 

Sometimes, the simple moments are the ones that stick with you.  I am particularly fond of the process of walking from the Coliseum (the area we have our evening “Torchlight” ceremony) to the Boys Sail Point, right next to the water.

We ask the boys to come in silence.  I know that sounds so mundane, but we do not embrace silence much these days.  Our lives are full of sounds and distractions.  Sometimes, life is just noisy.  We become accustomed to the constant cacophony. 

So a short stroll in silence unlocks a lot.  I heard three different songbirds.  We heard laughter from the girls’ side across the kayak cove (they had just finished their vespers).  The waves from some previous boat lapped against the shore.  And I could hear the footsteps of the boys.

As we left the Sail Point to get Sunday Sundaes (we, afterall, are not barbarians), the son was just setting over Packsaddle Mountain.

It was a great start to our next week of camp.

Steve Sir