I worked with some truly incredible people this summer and it would be impossible to name each and every one of them along with the specific impact they made on my life. I hope I won't offend anyone if I only mention a few here.
First and foremost, I absolutely adored my roommates. The first half of the summer I lived in Indian Paintbrush (IPB) with BBQ and Yosemite, or Yose. (Pronounced Yo-See). These two took the aforementioned quiet Queen Bee and taught her how to be playful and childlike. They found so much joy and life in the dreary every-day routines and I loved them. Also I learned the art of How-Not-To-Go-To-Bed-On-Time. A quite useful skill that I still employ.
In July I moved to Columbine with Scribbles and Shakes, and while I missed my IPB roomies, I had even more fun in Columbine. These two knew how to laugh at everything. There was never a dull moment in that cabin. I learned to take myself less seriously, to love my girls and how fun they could be. I learned that there is a time to learn, but also a time to laugh. Another quite useful skill that I ought to employ more often.
My best friend up at camp was easily Pixar. You will get sick of stories about her. Here is the first one:
Once upon a time I spent an entire day at a Brighton workshop. When it ended, I hurried home to throw on a dress before being picked up by Brianna's family to attend a scholarship dinner. Bri earned the scholarship, not me, but she invited me to go and I've never been one to turn down free food. Two hours after leaving the camp workshop, I was sitting at a fancy table with an open seat next to me. A girl and her dad approached and politely asked if the seat was taken. A few awkward minutes passed before I decided we couldn't possibly sit next to perfect strangers for two hours, so I turned to her and asked her name.
She told me it was Elizabeth, but then asked with a strange look, "Are you working at Brighton this summer?"
"Yeah," I said, peering closely at her. I was certain we'd never met before. "Are you?"
"Yeah" she replied. "I'm Pixar!"
Recognition did not dawn, but luckily, she forgave me my non-elephantine memory lapse and The Story of How We Met was a favorite to tell our girls this summer.
From Pixar I learned how to befriend my girls rather than be-boss them. I saw in her example what it meant to love those who may be different from me, even those who may be different from practically everyone. I learned how to be simultaneously easygoing and responsible. That is quite a feat, I tell you and I generally lean too much toward the easygoing end of the spectrum. Luckily life is a learning process.
Other staff members I had a chance to get to know included Pinkie Pie, Twix, Skittles, Cha Cha, Armadillo, Scooby, Canine, Boots, Luna, Melody, Luna, Hoot, Waffle, Saturn, Ivy, Tangerine, Ham, Grizzly, Pigeon, Aspen, Kronk, Fives, Flip Flop, Snaps, Sugar, Nugget and Smalls. Winnie, Gus and Roo were our incredible camp directors and Brooke, Star, Duke and Dina were our senior missionary couples who we loved. I also had a chance to work with some friends from home, Willow and Aqua, my cross country buddy.
These are the people I lived with this summer. I lived with them, and I loved with them. We laughed and cried and sang and hiked and danced and played and prayed together. Together we saw lives changed. We witnessed miracles. Sometimes we were the conduits for those miracles, and sometimes we were the beneficiaries. The whole summer, in fact, was its own kind of miracle, the kind that transforms perfect strangers into lifelong friends, that friendship being built on shared memories and a deep love for the Savior and our Heavenly Father and His daughters.
It was incredible, and I wouldn't trade it for the world.
First and foremost, I absolutely adored my roommates. The first half of the summer I lived in Indian Paintbrush (IPB) with BBQ and Yosemite, or Yose. (Pronounced Yo-See). These two took the aforementioned quiet Queen Bee and taught her how to be playful and childlike. They found so much joy and life in the dreary every-day routines and I loved them. Also I learned the art of How-Not-To-Go-To-Bed-On-Time. A quite useful skill that I still employ.
In July I moved to Columbine with Scribbles and Shakes, and while I missed my IPB roomies, I had even more fun in Columbine. These two knew how to laugh at everything. There was never a dull moment in that cabin. I learned to take myself less seriously, to love my girls and how fun they could be. I learned that there is a time to learn, but also a time to laugh. Another quite useful skill that I ought to employ more often.
My best friend up at camp was easily Pixar. You will get sick of stories about her. Here is the first one:
Once upon a time I spent an entire day at a Brighton workshop. When it ended, I hurried home to throw on a dress before being picked up by Brianna's family to attend a scholarship dinner. Bri earned the scholarship, not me, but she invited me to go and I've never been one to turn down free food. Two hours after leaving the camp workshop, I was sitting at a fancy table with an open seat next to me. A girl and her dad approached and politely asked if the seat was taken. A few awkward minutes passed before I decided we couldn't possibly sit next to perfect strangers for two hours, so I turned to her and asked her name.
She told me it was Elizabeth, but then asked with a strange look, "Are you working at Brighton this summer?"
"Yeah," I said, peering closely at her. I was certain we'd never met before. "Are you?"
"Yeah" she replied. "I'm Pixar!"
Recognition did not dawn, but luckily, she forgave me my non-elephantine memory lapse and The Story of How We Met was a favorite to tell our girls this summer.
From Pixar I learned how to befriend my girls rather than be-boss them. I saw in her example what it meant to love those who may be different from me, even those who may be different from practically everyone. I learned how to be simultaneously easygoing and responsible. That is quite a feat, I tell you and I generally lean too much toward the easygoing end of the spectrum. Luckily life is a learning process.
Other staff members I had a chance to get to know included Pinkie Pie, Twix, Skittles, Cha Cha, Armadillo, Scooby, Canine, Boots, Luna, Melody, Luna, Hoot, Waffle, Saturn, Ivy, Tangerine, Ham, Grizzly, Pigeon, Aspen, Kronk, Fives, Flip Flop, Snaps, Sugar, Nugget and Smalls. Winnie, Gus and Roo were our incredible camp directors and Brooke, Star, Duke and Dina were our senior missionary couples who we loved. I also had a chance to work with some friends from home, Willow and Aqua, my cross country buddy.
These are the people I lived with this summer. I lived with them, and I loved with them. We laughed and cried and sang and hiked and danced and played and prayed together. Together we saw lives changed. We witnessed miracles. Sometimes we were the conduits for those miracles, and sometimes we were the beneficiaries. The whole summer, in fact, was its own kind of miracle, the kind that transforms perfect strangers into lifelong friends, that friendship being built on shared memories and a deep love for the Savior and our Heavenly Father and His daughters.
It was incredible, and I wouldn't trade it for the world.
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