What Camp Skyline Teaches Us About Friendships
Hello, everyone! I believe one of the most important lessons both children and counselors learn at camp is how to be a good friend. You see, as “Camp Mom,” I have the privilege of watching friendships grow stronger and stronger within the few short weeks of summer. Therefore, I thought it might be helpful to share with you the characteristics I see that helps nourish these amazing camp friendships.
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Be encouraging. Everyone needs a bit of encouragement in order to try something new, whether it be on the ropes course or at the dining hall. It’s also needed in getting through tough times, such as home sickness. I see that simple encouragement can be extremely helpful in letting a friend feel special, loved, and brave. We all need encouragement! And we can give encouragement through our words and actions all day long here at camp.
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Work through conflict. We all have disagreements or just want things to work out in our favor. At camp you have the opportunity to be the kind of friend who is willing to compromise and talk through the difficult times. Here’s the kicker: most likely your friendship will grow even stronger because of these hiccups.
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Be a good listener. Camp offers the time to sit together and share your life story. You are given the time to really listen and get to know each other. I’ve seen that true bonds here at camp are formed when girls just listen.
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Look out for your friend. In life we all need someone to take an interest in us, look out for our best interests, and stand up for us when we need it most. At Camp Skyline, girls find that person. Every day you will find yourself looking out for your swim buddy or your cabin mate. You, in return, will find someone looking out for you!
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Be yourself. There is no other place on earth where you can be your true, authentic self. If you like wearing a silly hat every day, no one thinks that’s silly. If you decide to color your hair the same color as your club, no one thinks that’s crazy. If you really like to dance crazy to loud music, that’s okay. AND if you’d rather just sit on the side, smile, and watch the dancing that’s okay too. You’ll make friends who are like you and you’ll make friends who are not like you. Just be yourself!
Some people call Skyline the “camp bubble;” the friendships made are one of the main reasons why. Most likely these friendships are different than the ones you have at home. They are special! My wish is that we could all stay at camp all summer and watch those friendships bloom. It really is amazing!
Love Your Camp Mom, Frances
