What I Learned At Camp Pt. 2

Well, since my last entry, I've taken my Jr. High and High School guys and gals to Westcliffe, CO. We spent 10 days total on the road at this great camp called SnowRidge Camp. Man, we had a great time. I had the privilege of witnessing some life-changing events in the lives of some of our campers and honestly, that's what makes these trips so rich and worth the trouble. So, I got to come back home for a week and then off to camp #3. I've turned into a professional camper. I've streamlined my packing techniques and have learned the art of nap time during the day. Without it, you're toast. Camp #3 was a whole different beast. I was hired along with my good friend Chris Taylor to do the musical stuff the whole week for the American Cancer Society in Kerrville, Texas. The age range was from 7 yrs.-16yrs. of age. There were about 150 kids in all and I think I 'bout near fell in love with every last one of them over the course of the 6 days I had the honor of spending with them. Obviously, I knew what I was getting into. What surprised me was how many kids looked healthy, ones you certainly would not assume had struggled with or are currently in the battle with cancer. Of course, there were others in the midst of chemo. The percentage of kids currently with cancer vs. those in remission was about 50/50. What struck me was even those like Leo, who 2 days before was in the hospital with a chest tube, was not going to allow his battle to keep him from taking full advantage of the fun he could have. He's still a kid. Kids have this spirit where they can and will take full advantage of every opportunity to have fun. In adult terms, that would be called "enjoying life" or "Smelling the Roses". Before getting to experience this unique privilege, I knew I would walk away inspired by these camper's lust for life and their amazing ability to put mind over matter. All I had to do was plug in the personalities and faces. Us adults, since we believe we are more evolved than kids, lose site of what simple joys can be found in singing a song, seeing who can clap the loudest, or who can get to the front door the quickest. Every one of these kids deserves to live and explore all of the good things we all can and do take for granted. Things I even took for granted today like kissing my wife or tickling my son. My prayer is that every last one of these sweet campers get that chance and every other thing that their hearts dream about. What I learned at camp is that those who get "it", even the weakest and tiniest of solders, know that every drop of life is precious and worth fighting for.