Our now pro-cannonballer here was wary of going of the diving board. When I say "wary", I don't mean he's thought about it a few times before- I mean he's been thinking about it since swim lessons over the winter. But on this field trip, he was taken with Towamencin's numerous diving boards and all the fun everyone seemed to be having. While his first attempt was quickly rethought as he got close to the board, after a little time hanging out with Ms. Allison, he was ready to try again. They came up with a plan- Ms Allison hung out in the diving well so there was an encouraging face down there in that slightly scary place but far enough away so there was no chance of interfering with a truly great cannonball. And then, he did it- right off the diving board into the air and then into the water with an excellent splash factor! When he emerged with a smile on his face, we all knew that the hesitancy was over. And we were right- as our new diving board enthusiast spent the rest of the afternoon jumping and diving to his heart's content.
So this is a little of why I love camp and a lot of why I love this picture- this moment really. Everyday we're at camp, we spend out time running around with and after kids, making crafts with them, teaching them proper dodgeball rules and techniques, catching frogs, and ultimately keeping them safe, happy, and usually very dirty. But sometimes, actually a lot of the time, we get to be there for things like this- a first, the conquering of a fear, a chance to try something new- a really great first cannonball. So rather than giving you all a recap, I really want to say thank you for trusting us with your kids for the summer and letting us share these moments with them. It is an honor, truly- and also the reason why many of us love our jobs.
For the other 11 parts of my recap, I want to share more of what happened this summer but for this first recollection, I just wanted to share this moment and, again, say thank you.
