One More Week

Camp Widow starts one week from today.  We'll have a board meeting the day before, and I can't wait to see my fabulous ladies in person.  Our monthly meetings via Skype are great, but I love seeing everyone and feeling the enormous amount of energy generated when we are all in the same place.  I didn't go to Camp Widow East this year, and I can't tell you how sad I was to miss it.  I think knowing I wasn't at East has made me even more excited about West.  Seven more days!!

With the exception of this year's East, I've been at every Camp Widow since we started in 2009.  It's hard to believe it's been four years.  I love every minute of camp.  It starts with registration - people trickling in, from individual widows - shyly registering and taking it all in,  to old-timer alums who've come together and planned the trip since last year, it's great to see their faces.  Some so shy and uncomfortable at first, some so excited they can hardly stand it...but with one important thing in common:  hope.   It's evident in every interaction, every new friend made.  Seeing so many of us in one place, seeing how naturally the new friendships are forged, being in the middle of so many people who "get it" - it just can't help but give you hope and make you feel stronger and better equipped to handle the cards you've been dealt.  It's amazing to experience it.  We all come to camp for various reasons, and looking for different kinds of connection or guidance, but the one thing we all give to each other and receive in truckloads is hope.  

I hope to see some of you there, and like I said, I can hardly wait! Seven more days!!!!