Teens July 23, 2018 Issue

Exactly the right idea

Jessica Mueller

On a hot Saturday morning in June, my mom, my brother, and I packed a bunch of luggage into my car. My brother and I were heading that day to our favorite place on earth—a camp for Christian Scientists. Even though I had taken the big step from camper to counselor just a few years earlier, being at camp, in whatever role, was always the best part of my summer.

Three hours and a few dusty roads later, we arrived, and I was ecstatic. Our friends greeted us with wide smiles and tight hugs; we couldn’t wait to get the session rolling. However, I would soon find out that not everyone was as excited about being at camp as I was.

That night, I was in a cabin with some of the youngest girls, who were staying over into the next session and would soon be moving to new cabins. I helped them get ready for bed, but as they began to settle down, one of the girls appeared upset. I tried to comfort her, but she resisted. She kept saying that she didn’t feel at home and that she didn’t want to be at camp anymore. I assured her that she would love her new cabin mates and have a blast. But after that, since I could tell she wanted to be alone, I gave her some space. Once each camper was in bed, I turned off the lights and headed to my bunk.

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