Gratitude, Respect, and Wonder
Camp Widow is a wrap and the value of storytelling is strong in my being.
Images are vivid in my mind.
I’m remembering the Well Loved photos of our persons who are honored front-and-center throughout the entire event. I’m thinking about the messages of compassion, help, and hope which met us at every turn. Moments of conversation, meal sharing, tears and hugs with friends newly met, and those from previous camps and/or from our regular life—these make up the heart of the JOY of the Camp Widow experience. The community.
Community Heals
Hearing our stories, our struggles—even just knowing someone had an experience that closely related your own makes such a difference. Workshops open spaces for these conversations that often plant seeds for a new perspective. Hope grows in this soil.
And then there’s the laughter.
Who would expect laughter at a gathering of widowed people? And dancing?
Oh yeah.
The best.
A-a-a-n-n-d . . . Camp Crash is Real
Leaving the wonderland of respite, real life waited patiently at home. I crashed after being greeted with some regular life problems that appeared like a parent waiting on the couch as I am sneaking to my room after an epic, past curfew, night! ARGH!
Camp Crash can happen. This time, for me, it did happen. But it does not always happen.
Life is life. Unpredictable.
We are strong. We are resilient. We can ask for help. We can figure this out. And I did.
Photo Speaking Went Silent
I love photos. I love taking photos, organizing photos, perusing photos, sharing photos, and remembering events through photos . . . but this camp, I have but one photo.
If you are a regular to the Wednesday post on this blog, you know that it is filled with photos. Photos often capture more than words for me—in my phone I have exactly one photo.
Interesting.
I’ve enjoyed looking at others’ photos and I feel no sense of guilt or regret for not taking more photos; perhaps that’s it. There are so many photos others have taken that I am enjoying. Those are enough.
I’ll be unpacking camp widow in the weeks to come.
In the meantime, be well.
