As millions of families gather today, there will be just as many moments of reflection on what people feel grateful for. As a camp community, we can also share in this moment of giving thanks—not gathered around a table, perhaps, but through these words and our shared memories. In true Thanksgiving fashion, we have made a list of the things we are grateful for.
We are grateful for the little slice of forest in which Waukeela sits: the trees, the rocks, the land. The animals who welcome us into their home every summer—even the spiders who scare us, though perhaps a little less than we scare them. We are grateful for the connection to nature we all take away. The serenity it brings and the space for reflection it provides.
We are grateful for the lake. For the fog that rolls over it early in the morning creating an enchanting feeling. For the early morning dips reminding us of how strong we are. For the hours spent perfecting dives and strokes that instill in us a love of swimming. For the feeling of sitting on a boat in the middle of the lake, held gently by the surrounding mountains. For the moment of surrender just before your boat capsizes, knowing you're about to lose it with laughter with your boat buddy . We are grateful for the cool water during optional swims on hot days and for playing with others at Little Dock as everyone tries to cool down.
We are grateful for our counselors: our role models, our hardworking, dedicated, and infinitely caring summer guides who often become lifelong mentors. They are the people who help us learn new skills, encourage us to try new things, and listen to us share our worries, fears, and dreams. They are our cheerleaders, thinking of us throughout the year and hoping our lives are filled with good friends and not too much homework, sending us their love and positive vibes as they navigate young adulthood.
We are grateful for our campers: the life and soul of Waukeela, the reason for it all. We are grateful for their bravery, their ability to grow, adapt, and learn. For their silliness, loudness, and laughter, which we miss so dearly when camp is empty.
We are grateful for the moments of growth: the homesickness, the frustration of not getting things right away, the times our team lost and the resilience we found to move forward. We are grateful for those people we didn’t get along with but lived so close to that we were forced to see their beauty. We are grateful for the pride of overcoming our struggles. We are grateful for the flexibility Waukeela instills in us: the ability to adapt to life’s twists and turns, to transform fear of the unknown into wonder.
We are grateful for the belief in ourselves: the many examples of self-reliance, independence, and confidence that remind us we can do hard things, even when they seem too difficult at first.
We are grateful for the old friendships that began with nervous conversations while unpacking and blossomed into support networks helping us navigate the many stages of life.
This Thanksgiving, we are grateful for this community and these summer memories. May they keep us warm through the colder months until we reunite amid the pines once more.
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