Saturday, March 05, 2011

Night

Today I share a picture of my favorite night.  This may not be my most favorite night ever, but it has to be one of my most favorite nights this year.  (The list of my most favorite nights include the night we went to the hospital when Boo was born, the night of my wedding (hush you!), the first night Gak and I spent together when he came to visit, all the wonderful concerts and other events I've been to with friends and family over the years.)

This is actually not a picture of that night, but of the next morning.  You see, this was the picture I took of Boo first thing in the morning on our camping trip back in August.  I was so happy to be able to share my love of camping with the boys.  Yes, there were some pretty un-fun moments that weekend, but it was still a wonderful trip in my mind.  There is almost nothing I love more than sitting by a campfire and just hanging out, either by myself or with friends and family.  Luckily, most of my friends and family feel the same.

Actually, thinking about camping and campfires and trips, I go back over 15 years now to a very special night.  Unfortunately, it was the night of Kat's graduation, which I missed.  But, I missed it for very good reason.  You see, I was having a graduation of my own of sorts.  It was the end of pre-camp the first year I was a counselor at Tohi.  It was the night we were presented with our staff ties and bear scares.  Being part of Girl Scouts, it was rich in tradition and ceremony and meaning.  The power of the night was heavy and warm.  This was a dream come true for me.  I was so over the top and emotional.  I remember crying when they finally called my name.  I was so happy.  It's been over 15 years now and I still can remember the emotion of that night, that camp fire, like it was yesterday.  I don't remember all the people or the words that were said, but I remember the power, the emotion and the joy of that night.

Normally, I'm not a ceremony person at all.  I didn't grow up with much in the way of ceremony, at least not religious ceremony.  The only ceremony I had on a regular basis were the ones in Girl Scouts.  The little weekly ones of opening and closing circle.  The yearly ones of year ending and summer camp.  The "big" ones that happened whenever you bridged from one age group to the next.  And they were powerful to me, even when they stopped having meaning to many of the other girls in my troops.  That's because I believed.  I believed with all my heart in what the heart of Girl Scouts is.  I believe in the spirit of the Promise and the Laws and try and truly make them the root of my being.  They are good words to live by, no matter who you are or where you come from.  So, yes, the ceremony at camp when I finally became a counselor was extra powerful to me.  It didn't hurt that I was part of a really great, and fairly close group of women (and a few men).  The next year wasn't so powerful for me.  There was much trial and tribulation that year starting with pre-camp and going throughout the entire summer season for me.  But, I made it through and the closing campfire of pre-camp was still powerful, but not as intense.

With that thought, I'm going to wrap this up and bid you all peace.

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