Starstruck at Camp

Sometimes we think of that one person, usually a celebrity, who we want to meet. And when we think about meeting that person, we usually get into a Starstruck mode. Our eyes get big, onlookers see a twinkle in our eyes, sometimes our jaws drop and we get pumped. Sometimes we get so happy we just cry, and other times we get a little hyper and can't quite control ourselves.

This was a constant phenomenon at Camp all summer. Campers arrived from all over the country and experienced that Starstruck feeling as soon as their eyes hit the Camp Nazareth sign out by the road. It's an amazing thing, actually! As the cars and busses journey down Pew Road and enter the Camp grounds, you can feel the energy of the camp transform in an unexplainable way.

Campers greet each other, campers greet staff, staff greet campers, and so on. Countless times I'd see a camper arrive to camp and look around at if Camp was filled with celebrities. The twinkles in the eyes of campers, the smiles on their faces, and the non-verbal language of Campers screamed "I'M SO HAPPY!" Ironically, though, at the end of the week, the joy tuned into a sort of terror as campers did everything they could to prolong the process of leaving. It's quite amazing though, because I can't image someone letting go of a celebrity that easy. Saying goodbye to the same person 20 times just isn't enough. Hugging each other over and over just isn't enough. Nothing is good enough when it comes to letting go of such a treasure.

Could we call Camp the celebrity of the diocese? Of course. In fact, Camp is the gem of the diocese and the kids recognize it. They recognize Camp as a special place, just like they recognize their heroes as special people.

My inspiration to write about this comes from the constant news coverage of Pope Francis in America. The excitement I saw in the faithful catholics reminded me of the excitement of Campers every summer!

Again I say, Glory be to God for all things!