It's officially summer now! I dropped my daughter off at camp this past weekend. She was so excited, nervous and curious all at the same time.  And so was Mama. Mother-daughter relationships are both poignant and painful and getting her ready for camp for the first time was indeed one of those moments.  

So many emotions involved -- in the preparation, the packing, the drive up there, the night before and finally the drop-off. With this being her first time to go to camp, it caused me to reflect on my own camp experiences.  I absolutely loved it, and I know she will too. For little girls, camp is just about the greatest gift because it is where they get their souls fed and where they find their song. They are learning far more than archery, canoeing, and ceramics, they are learning more about themselves – in relation to nature, God and others.

Each day I check the camp website to view the photos of the day… I’m addicted because I want to be connected, to share in the newness and most of all, in the joy.  It’s comforting to this Mama to see her daughter smile and having fun. Yet at the same time she is becoming more independent and responsible, and growing up in the way God has planned for her. She is coming into her own.

So in her camp world she moves to the rhythm of bells – in her waking, in her moving throughout the day, and in her resting.  As a mother, I know that camp is helping shape who she will become in ways that I cannot. Even though I am missing her way more than she is me, I trust God is changing and strengthening our relationship this summer.  I look forward to seeing her bright smile, and the light that already beams from her will be all the brighter. #summer #summercamp #summerlovin #mothersanddaughters #relationships