For once I’m going to keep this short and sweet, and those of you who have been reading my essays for years know that this in itself will be difficult.
I’ve been thinking about this message for some time, as I navigated the last 9 months with an array of emotions that ranged from utter rage to an immense appreciation for silver linings. It’s been a roller-coaster.
2020 has been a lot. The pandemic has rocked our day to day sense of normalcy, and beyond Covid-19 there have been many social and political challenges. Our country feels like it’s reaching a fever pitch. Even though I work hard to protect my children from content beyond their years, I know that they are savvy, and, like many children, have been watching and listening.
I will always remain committed to raising my children to be tolerant of the things beyond human control, but intolerant of injustices within reach of our control. As a family we talk openly about our hopes for the world, and we try hard to educate each other in a way that promotes our core values of inclusivity and kindness. Although I am personally and professionally pushing hard on the glass ceilings, striving for my best to contribute towards an inclusive and loving world for all humankind, my hopes and dreams, which too frequently feel deflated, are often pinned tightly to my kids’ generations, hoping they can push the needle much, much, further.
But the heart of a Mother knows that this will come in good time. I know deep down I need to let them experience some carefree childhood first, before the responsibilities of adulthood engulf them.
2020 has helped me recognize more than ever before the opportunity Camp IHC affords my children. It is an innocent and carefree space where our youngsters can simply be free from the heartaches, pressures and harsh realities of the world. I wholeheartedly agree that education and experience hold the keys to social progress, and I unequivocally believe that children and young people also require a much needed respite from the injustices of the world that adults have created around them. Simply put, I will always remain proudly committed to preserving some space for innocence in childhood, which is distinctly separate from ignorance in adulthood.
I know in 2021 my children will need such a childhood space more than ever. I wonder if yours does too? I am grateful this space will always exist at camp.
Let us send our kids to camp this summer to be free and lighthearted, knowing that the only prerequisites are to be kind and inclusive. And, if we are really honest, both encompass it all.
Roll on summer 2021.
