We didn’t want to send our daughter off to summer camp at six years old; we thought she was too young.
“Let’s wait until next year,†we urged her. “You’ve never been away from us, and a week is a long time.â€
But friends of ours down the street had daughters who were older than Abby – and she wanted the same experience they were having.
Insecure after a bike crash left me scraped up, I braced for a tough week — but camp offered a lesson in empathy I didn’t see coming.
Insecure after a bike crash left me scraped up, I braced for a tough week — but camp offered a lesson in empathy I didn’t see coming.
“Katie and Gabbie will be there,†she said. “I’ll be fine.â€
On the day she went to camp, we drove her up to Yorkdale to get the coach with all the other campers. She wanted independence so badly — wanted the whole camp experience so badly — and didn’t want us to drive her up. We got her seated on the coach, and stood in the parking lot with dozens of other parents waiting to wave their kids off. She had a window seat – and as we watched our tiny, six-year-old daughter wave bravely good-bye, we looked at each other.
“What on earth are we thinking?” We were wondering how she coped, and asked when she got back.
“I remember sitting on the bus absolutely terrified, cuddling my blanket and crying,” Abby recalls. “A counsellor saw me sitting by myself by the window and sat beside me. She made me feel safe and calmed my nerves completely by talking to me through the entire two-and-a-half hour bus ride.”
A week later, we hopped in the car at 6:30 in the morning so we could get to camp for 10 a.m., pick-up time. She had allowed us this much. The second she saw us she came barrelling across the lawn, tanned legs pumping in the sun, and jumped into my arms, wrapping herself tightly right around me.
“I cried every night,†she said. “But not last night!†She was proud of herself. Nights are the hard part, when kids would be tucked safely in their beds, being read stories and given goodnight kisses.ÌýÌý
Isolation during lockdown left daily life confined to a basement suite in Kensington Market. A stray cat’s visits sparked rare moments outside and
Isolation during lockdown left daily life confined to a basement suite in Kensington Market. A stray cat’s visits sparked rare moments outside and
She went to camp for the next 10 years. She learned to portage, camp in the wild, solo canoe, swim, give first-aid, sing. She learned how to lead, problem-solve and make the smaller kids laugh when they, too, missed their parents. And, sometimes, she sent us letters:
“It has been three days. I have been having a lot of fun so far. … P.S. Don’t cry when you read this.â€
“Can you send me some money for tuck? And maybe some red crocs?â€
Over those 10 years, she grew into herself.Ìý
“I learned how to be independent and that, no matter how scary things are, I can do them; I learned resilience,” she says.
She learned to expand her palate, raving about the food; the first meal is always grilled cheese and tomato soup, which she looked forward to every year — it signalled the beginning of camp.
These hidden gem parks offer trails, picnic areas and plenty of greenspace waiting to be enjoyed.Ìý
These hidden gem parks offer trails, picnic areas and plenty of greenspace waiting to be enjoyed.Ìý
More than that, it was an escape from the pressures of everyday pre-teen and teen life. “I like going to camp,” she once told me. “There are no mirrors so I don’t care what I look like.” Plus, it was device free — so she was liberated from the pressures of social media, too. Instead, she could focus on being a kid.Ìý
Even now, at 21,Ìýshe needs her time in the forest, in the wilderness. She learned to trust herself and love nature, things that will stay with her forever.
Me, I was never able to go to overnight camp. There wasn’t enough money to go around; I dreamed of spending that time up north and learning to swim, canoe and simply be a kid. I didn’t know then about the Fresh Air Fund; but I was so pleased that I was able to send Abby there.Ìý
Camp Tapawingo hosted kids who were able to go to camp due to the Fresh Air Fund. We both feel camp is a special place that every kid should have the chance to experience.Ìý
ÌýThe ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½ Star Fresh Air Fund
GOAL:Ìý$650,000
TO DATE:Ìý$616,885.00
How to donate:
Online:
To donate by Visa, Mastercard or Amex using our secure form.
By cheque:
Mail to the ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½ Star Fresh Air Fund, 8 Spadina Ave., ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½, ON M5V 0S8
By phone: Call 647-250-8282
Tax receipts will be issued.
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