Can I Really Make It Through This?

Has anyone out there ever sent their child off to camp for the first time?  Now, I am not talking about a long weekend of boy scout, girl scout camp or a church retreat. I mean a true full-blown one or two week camp or mission trip where no electronics are allowed including cell phones. One where the only communication you have with your child is through letter writing like the in old days. If any of you have done this and have lived through it, I could use some clues on how you kept yourself out of the fetal postion in the corner for the duration of their time away. 

Saturday I packed what seemed like everything my son owned along with a long list of other items found in his camp packet labeled, "what you should pack" into a large trunk. As the time grew closer to when I would give my last hug I felt a huge hole begining to grow in the pit of my stomach. After all, this is my baby.  Okay, so he is thirteen and some of you are probably going, "Really Lady? Get a grip." However, I am betting there are a few of you who are nodding your heads with total understanding remembering the first time you too felt like you would not make it through the first night, much less the whole time period. 

We loaded his trunk in the back of the jeep and he turned around to give me his last hug for two weeks. As I swallowed the lump in my throat, I squeezed him hard and somehow the words, "Have a blast baby! You are going to have so much fun that the next two weeks are going to fly by!" came out. I managed to just about get back to the garage before I had an all out meltdown. It only lasted for about five minutes though. The first time. Last night I slept with one of his favorite t-shirts. It's now day three. Ugh.

For decades parents have been sending their children off to all types of summer camps. In fact, if you ask most adults who attended camp as a child they will all say their fondest memories are from those times. I myself am one of those adults. Actually, I signed up to attend Camp Long each year until finally I was told by the camp director that if I came back the following year I would have to apply to be a camp counselor! I guess being three years older than most of the campers seemed a little bit unusual. Obviously I loved my camp experiences.

Most children experience some level of home sickness when they first go away only to get over it quickly and go on to enjoy their time immensely. I have no doubt that my son will fall into this catagory and probably already has. It is me I am worried about as each morning I mentally mark through the day with a red marker counting the days until I have him home again. It's like struggling between the rational and irrational side of myself.  "Snap out of it", my rational side says, "Get his baby album out", my irrational side replys back. 

One thing I do know is my baby boy will grow through this experience both physically, emotionally and most assuredly spirtually. Camp Ridgecrest is a Christian boys camp that had a three-page waiting list to get into for this first camp of the summer. I found myself once again praying for my son this morning to be strong, to grow and to draw nearer to the Lord. I have to share with ya'll I do believe I could almost hear God whisper back, "It's okay Mom, I got this."