NOAA weather radios signal warnings that require immediate action during summer storms. For 25 years, a mother ran Camp L-Kee-Ta, responsible for the safety of girls and staff. During tornado warnings, campers moved indoors and gathered in the basement, where they found solace in song. Camp provided a safe space to face challenges away from outside judgment, teaching resilience and courage. Despite tragedies elsewhere, camp experiences prepared girls for real-life trials, underscoring the importance of learning and growth in moments of discomfort.
For 25 years, my mother ran Camp L-Kee-Ta, a small Girl Scout camp in the southeastern part of the state, which meant that, every summer, she was responsible for the safety of 64 girls and a staff of 20 young adults.
Camp felt safe, in the literal sense but also the figurative one; there, girls could challenge themselves, free from the judgment of the outside world.
Even when disaster sent us underground, we were always ultimately okay. It was good for campers to be a little uncomfortable and homesick.
What I haven't been able to stop thinking about is the unfathomable tragedy that, last week in the Texas Hill Country, at least a dozen little girls lost their lives while they were learning how to be brave.
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