Ahhh, First session. Less than a week away. As a staff member, I loved first session more than any other. Since it is about to start, and my daughter will be attending (first time last year) I thought I would blog what I liked about it and see what some of your opinions are too. What is your favorite session?

Three main reasons that first session is my favorite:

1. I love the age. Old enough to talk back, laugh at a joke, and still cry when they get upset, or say I am scared and I need to hold on to you!
2. I loved the bravery of those children. Many of those kids were away from home the first time, and this was the bravest thing they had ever done. I know people who have never been this brave in their whole life.
3. They are smart. Really smart. I tried to give some lame answer to a question in sailing class one day, and 3 of them cried foul and made me give an answer (I wish I could remember the context) that made sense.

I have one of the fonest memories of the whole summer of '81 first session. Billy Taylor brought over one of Pat Walsh's kids (I think it was one of Pat's). She had come to camp with a broken arm. Her arm was still a little sore and she could not do whatever her campsite was doing and since I had a hurt foot at the time (funny story, another blog) he thought she could chill with me for awhile. We sat and talked together for a few minutes, and I saw that home sick, sad stare that some campers get. I could tell she was close to giving up, and I said something to here like "sometimes when I am tired, hurt, and away from home, what I need is just to sit quietly with a friend and watch the river move on by." She sort of collapsed up against me and we sat for awhile looking out at the river. The river worked it's magic on both of us.