Author: nhagberg
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On Saying Goodbye and Saying Hello
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Yesterday was the last day of summer camps. We are saying goodbye. And we are saying hello. We are saying goodbye to our first summer without Steve. And saying hello to our commitment to continue, carry on, and expand the TLC vision he began and we believe in. We are saying goodbye to the #7 rated…
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On Suffering and The Three Crowns
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I have had so much fun this summer. But this week, I have been particularly struck by the heartache we all experience in life. No one escapes. One camper has severe ADHD, another suffers from debilitating anxiety, another is deeply grieving the loss of a friend who died in an accident recently, another has a…
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On Family
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I love family camp. All shapes, sizes, ages, and abilities thrown into a melting pot. The love – or sometimes rediscovered love – parents have for their kids come out in surprising ways. And vice versa. By the end, we become like one, big, family. It no longer surprises me, but it still makes me…
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On Sportsmanship
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One of our tournament camp players this week played a magnificent point during a match, until the end, when he chunked an easy shot into the net. In his frustration and anger and disappointment, he bounced his racket off the court gritted his teeth and yelled. We talked quietly on the sideline about possible alternatives…
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On Rest
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24/7. Many of us are so proud to say that’s how many hours we work in a week. “Being busy” is valued above all else. And yet, being busy can be the most counterproductive thing we do, if it is not accompanied by rest. I remember when I was in high school I was proud…
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On Feeling Safe
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None of us will come out of our shells if we think someone will hurt us. Or make fun of us. Or demean us. We will grow up becoming more and more protective and wary. It is a natural reaction to say “I’m not letting you in” if we have had people break our trust…
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On Giving: #2
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Last week we had a camper here on scholarship. A beautiful, strong, quiet young girl. Through the course of camp, she rarely spoke to me. (Reminded me of my daughter at the breakfast table). She was taking in everything and working hard. When the camp was over, she was waiting for a ride from her dad so I…
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On Giving: #1
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It all started with a hairbrush. Tuesday, two sister campers came up to me with a problem. They had forgotten their hairbrush at home. I said, “Well, I just run my fingers through my hair. Try that.” When I saw their faces and realized that my sense of humor is not shared by all, I…
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On Being Grateful
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Our entire camp is focused on being grateful for what we have, rather than focusing on what we don’t have. And one ten year old girl named Ellie reminded me powerfully of this yesterday. We gather each morning for the Thank You Bowl. Campers and instructors have spent the camp writing thank you notes to…