Our evening program for Friday nights at Camp is called Barges. Barges are pieces of pine bark with birthday candles hot-glued onto them. Around dusk-ish, supervisors light the barges and lightly propel them into the lake (normally I think of Lake Hartwell as kind of yucky but, strangely, at Camp, I don't. At Camp, it's just the lake, and it's nice), where they affectionately float away while we sing -
Barges, I would like to go with you
I would like to sail the ocean blue
Barges, are there treasures in your hold?
Do you fight with pirates, brave and bold?
Out of my window, looking to the light
I can see the barges flickering bright
Silently flows the river to the sea
And the barges do go silently...
Usually, I am fairly distracted during Barges because my mind is going a hundred miles a minute. I am counting my campers to make sure they haven't run away (not that my sweet old ladies would, but I like to make sure they're all there still) and making sure that they are emotionally intact (it can be kind of an emotional time). Also, I am encouraging certain wiggly people to be somewhat still while trying to sing the words to the song and occasionally glancing at the supervisors to see if there is anything they feel the need to communicate to me with their eyes (there isn't).
The Friday night of the first week of Camp, one of my campers and I were a little late to Barges, and she was too tired to walk down a lot of stairs and stand for a long time, so I let her sit on the steps and we watched Barges happen. We sat on these old wooden steps and listened from a few distant feet away as everyone in Camp sang "Barges," and she put her head on my shoulder and I rubbed her back and sang it along with Camp. Singing to just her felt like some kind of lullaby that was written for her specifically instead of the song that all of Camp sings every Friday night.
It felt a little bit like we were spying on Camp. Everyone was so focused on each other, and it was special to be able to see the almost tangible bond that had formed throughout Camp, both in spite of and because of everything that had occurred during the week. We viewed the gentle care given by counselors to their campers, the great admiration by campers of their counselors, the trust built between counselors, the friendships found between campers.
And then, so suddenly, Barges was over. It was time to go back to our cabins for shower time, and everyone in Camp started moving back towards their cabins. My camper and I quickly were back in the group and our special moment was over.
But I was thankful for this moment that I had gotten to witness. I felt very proud to be a member of this place where unthinkably remarkable things happen so very often, where every minute is full, where people belong just as soon as they arrive. I felt nostalgic in my heart, because I love this place, and also I like it.
Love,
Lauralicious
