Lessons from Summer

Hi everyone! I hope you're having a great day today. I thought it was time for a new blog update, since it has been a little over a month that I have been back home. I have been keeping quite busy over the past few weeks.

 I had the opportunity to be a camp counselor this year at the running camp that I have attended the past six years. The camp is held at Culver Academies in Northern Indiana. The first year I attended camp there were only six girls, over the years the camp has grown to having close to 80 girls! I have never been a camp counselor before, but I enjoyed being able to help share what I have learned over the years with many high schoolers. It was a gratifying experience to share some of the knowledge I have acquired over the years to help these girls become leaders on their team and influence other girls to be the best runners and people they can be. I was also able to talk and learn from some of the older counselors and influential people who help to make Culver Camp a wonderful place to be.  I enjoyed sharing stories and listening to some very accomplished and inspiring people. This year the cross country and track coaches from Oregon were the featured speakers. They shared lots of information and stories with all of us. They are two wonderful people and I am so fortunate to have had the opportunity to hear them speak. Every person that I know at this camp helps to make the world a better place. These people made me feel like I was apart of another family over the few days I spent with them. On my drive home, I could not help but smile and think how lucky I am to know such influential people.

I have found myself working with many groups of children this summer. I enjoy helping young people find a passion, learn, and discover what this world has to offer. Working with young children helps me to think of all of the little things in life that I once enjoyed, but I have forgotten to appreciate. There are so many simple joys and lessons that we can take away by observing or talking to someone younger than ourselves. Maybe that is appreciating the flowers in your garden, reminiscing on simple things that make you happy, or going for a nice walk.

I have been able to take away some lessons this summer that I can carry on throughout the year and my life. Sometimes we can get carried away thinking about the big picture, but we should stop and draw a little along the way. These small drawings can add up and create wonderful masterpieces.
Enjoy your day today!