In this picture, Dodger looks the way I feel on Closing Days.

It is always hard to say goodbye to campers. We spend 9 months hiring staff, making improvements, creating schedules, developing training and modifying systems so that we can get the joy of working with your children for 10 weeks.

We love what we do. We believe that it matters. We know that it creates a lot of joy.

So endings are a little painful.

Luckily, not all of our campers will be leaving tomorrow, but many will. Their departure will leave holes in our hearts.

So let me take this opportunity to thank you for sharing your precious ones with us. I believe that you have shown courage as parents.

I believe your children will return more confident and resilient with a long list of stories to share.

Some of the stories might describe challenges – an activity that was hard or a cabinmate that was difficult. But these are the experiences that help us grow. We learn that we can overcome adversity, we learn that we can resolve conflict.

Your camper will also have new friendships and new skills. You will also hear tales of fun and silliness.

I advise parents to look at the camp pictures with your children. Doing so does two things. First, it will help provide explanations for some of the photos that make no sense. Second, it will help spur them to share their experiences with you as they explain what is going on. If your children are like mine, that can often under-communicate with you. Reviewing the photos is a good way to get them engaged.

So, for those of your who are coming tomorrow, we look forward to seeing you.

For everyone else, we are delighted that we will have another 1-2 weeks of fun and growth here on Lake LBJ.

Steve Sir