Today on the canoe dock, a 12-year-old got in a full-length canoe, by herself. She was there to eagerly learn three new strokes, an effort that took courage, skill and patience.
Perhaps the new strokes wouldn’t get her where she was going. Perhaps it would take longer to learn than she anticipated.
A few hours later, a different camper sat in the dining hall, looking at the offerings for dinner. Sure, there were foods she was used to, but here were a few dishes that this self-described picky eater would never ordinarily try. Knowing that switching back to the usual foods was easy, she picked up a forkful and gave it a try.
And right over there is a 15-year-old senior. He’s trying to work out a disagreement with a new cabinmate, and decides, perhaps for the first time, to offer a smile and a hug instead of a grimace and an argument.
Lots of things happen at camp. Some of them work, and some of them don’t. But the purpose of everything we do here is to create a safe place for children to grow.
Both things need to be present. The safety, resilience and courage to try, and the tension that allows each of us to become the person we’d like to be.