It's The Little Things That Matter Most

Going into eleventh grade, I had nothing to do for the summer. After months of debating, I decided to start working at Camp Ramah Day Camp in Nyack New York a year earlier than most staff. In other words, I would be one of few staff that do not live at camp because I was a year too young. I would be doing it with one of my best friends so it was a good plan knowing I would work at the camp the next summer as well to live there with my friends. After being hired, I expected to work with younger kids as I had coached the assistant director's son in a basketball mini camp for three to five year olds. A few weeks before the start of the summer, I received an interesting phone call. It was the assistant director, asking me to be a shadow for a boy with special needs. I would function as a normal councilor in the bunk however I would provide special attention to the at the time six year old Jake. After about of week of deciding what to do and talking it over with my mom, I decided to be the shadow for the boy. I had no idea that this decision would make my summer as amazing as it was.

The camp never really told me what was wrong with the boy, and I still am unsure until this day. Camp began and as the weeks went on, the other boys began to realize that he had some issues. Obviously at six years old they had no idea why he took so long to change after swim or why he walked slowly or wasn't very good at sports. However they still included him in everything they did.

The one thing that always bothered this boy was that he could never put his socks on. I would always have to do it for him and it would frustrate him to no end. Everyday we would work at it and by the end of the summer, he was able to do it by himself. At the time I had no idea what I was doing. I was just a sixteen year old boy trying to take care of kids with no prior experience, but this seemed like the normal thing to do. At the end of the summer I got a letter from the boy. In the envelope was a picture he a drawn, as well as a note from his mom. In the note she thanked me being his shadow for the summer going on about how he loved camp, the usual note from a parent. At the end of the letter she told me that the boy was now able to put his socks on by himself it had changed his life. He was so proud that he could do it by himself that he would yell at anyone for even trying to help him. This and that summer taught me that its the little things that make the big differences. I learned very quickly that not only do you impact your campers, but your campers impact you for the rest of your life.

- Eric