Moments that Matter: Royal Family Kids' Camp

The moments leading up the arrival of the campers is similar to the anticipation of waiting for Christmas morning. Excited chatter echoes as the yellow bus is spotted chugging along the dusty road. Welcome signs, each with the campers’ individual names, are waved in the air. As the bus doors open, the campers are called, one by one, each one receiving a cheer before running to his or her counselor.

 Each counselor is responsible for one or two campers, allowing for attention that so many of these kiddos desperately crave. Royal Family Kids’ Camp is a week long experience nationwide for kids who are or have been a part of the foster care system.

Activities abound from crawfish catching, fishing, swimming, boating, the gym (where I stealthily caught a Frisbee with my face), chapel, horseback riding, crafts, and more. My camper and I spent a lot of time the dress up area, putting on fashion shows and dressing up in princess gowns and tiaras for hours.

One of the things my camper eagerly anticipated was the evening activities. Everything from s’mores around the campfire to formal night to a huge birthday party for everybody (since many kids in foster care don’t have the chance to celebrate their birthdays) to the talent show (let me just say that you haven’t truly experienced life until you see a Royal Family talent show).

It’s a week of fun, relationship building, and connection. Many of the counselors return year-after-year, establishing relationships with their campers. There are even people who fly in from out of state to continue that bond with their kiddos.

Although it’s a fun week, it’s by no means an easy week. I wish I could share the stories of these kids. They’ve dealt with some hard things that even adults shouldn’t have to face. The world and so many people in it have been cruel to them, breaking promises about things that many of us simply take for granted. Trust can be difficult, and healing can’t happen in a week.
However, these kids are so much more than their circumstances. This past week, I saw more bravery, resilience, and beauty than I’ve seen for most of my life. These kids are fighters. Life hasn’t been kind to them, so the kindness I often witnessed them to extend to others stood in stark contrast to the reality they had experienced.

I still don’t understand why they have to go through the stuff they do. I feel like trying to answer that question in a neat little package minimizes their experiences and struggles. However, I do know that people like the ones I had the absolute pleasure to work with make a difference. Camp isn’t a magic wand waved over these kids that brings about instant change. The turmoil in their lives doesn’t disappear after the week is over. Camp is about the slow, patient work of planting seeds. Planting seeds of love, faith, and hope. Planting seeds in the minds of kids, telling them that they matter, that they are capable. 

Royal Family Kids’ Camp shows kids that their story isn’t over through a series of little moments that add up to create moments that matter for a lifetime.

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