"I'll let my head be just in sight
For a smile as small as mine
May be precisely what they need."
- Emily Dickinson
"Why do you do this?" is a question I am often asked
when I come home exhausted, but happier than I've ever been before.
I think for a moment to give the question its due,
But I'm never for a moment in doubt
When I think about camp...
"For the kids."
They made need someone to hold their hand,
They may need someone to tell them that their monsters are not real, even if I have my own monsters to confront,
They may need someone to put a bandaid on their cut and promise that it will feel ok in awhile,
They may need someone to look at their painting and say that it is the bestpainting they have ever seen, and to make them believe it,
They may need someone to show them how to shoot a bow and arrow, even if I'm awful at it,
They may need someone to know their name, and greet them cheerfully every morning, even if my head hurts and I can't find my shoes,
They may need someone to make sure they do their jobs right without scolding them, even though I never learned that lesson,
They may need someone to notice them and make sure they are having fun, and to ask "What's wrong?" if they aren't,.
Most of all, they may need someone who cares enough to take a moment out of a crazy day just to say, "You're cool, kid."...whether I think she is or not.
I like to think that maybe, because of me, this child will grow up knowing how to care about someone else.
"Why do I do this? ... To help kids grow."
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