There’s nothing like driving to camp and turning onto Smith Lane. You get butterflies in your stomach and your heart starts to beat a little faster. I spent countless summers at GFC, as a camper, unit head, and education director and I felt it every single time I drove up to the gates! This time I was in the car with my eight year old son, five year old daughter and husband…talk about coming full circle! We were about to spend our weekend at GFC’s Family Camp, and as we made our way down Smith Lane, those exact same feelings came back, as if they had never left.
This was our second time coming to GFC Family Camp, with the hope that our son would get a taste of what camp feels like and would commit to signing up for the summer. I didn’t realize that the weekend would end up being not just for him, but also for me. I got to see camp through the eyes of my kids; filling up their cups over and over with (bug) juice, dancing after every meal, singing along with Loui Dobin during the campfire, and watching them look up at the stars as we walked down the long road from the Chadar Ochel (dining hall) back to our motel room. I got to live these moments with MY kids and it brought me so much joy. They felt comfortable at camp, like it had already become their special place. My son looked at me and said, “Mom, can I live here?”
Not only did we get to spend the weekend as a family, we also got to experience it with my camp friends and their kids. Two other families from my Avodah (staff-in-training) year, and many summers prior, spent the weekend with us. Our kids ran around, together, as if they had spent summer after summer there already. It felt like the camp magic was already in their blood. My daughter looked at me and said, “Mom, I loved today!”
Camp was a place where I always felt like my true self, and coming back it felt just the same. Of course, there are a few new buildings and different names for camper units, but ultimately it still feels special. My son feels it too, I can tell. He’s ready, and while it’s bittersweet that I can’t watch him in action at camp, I know he’s going to have the time of his life. I can’t wait to drive down Smith Lane to drop him off for Bonim A this summer. This time, I don’t think I’ll be the only one with butterflies! See you again in June, GFC!
-Sara Edelman