Stuff I don't want to forget

Stake YW Presidency.  Love my pigtails with mismatched scrunchies!

I'm back from camp, physically exhausted and in dire need of sleep but I wanted to write down a few thoughts before the details leave my mind forever.  It was a wonderful week filled with faith-promoting experiences, a whole lot of laughing and hardly any sleep.  It hurts a little to think this was my last year as assistant director but I know I'll enjoy a little more time to myself next year and feeling a whole lot less stress.

I never want to forget the night that I woke up to a voice telling me "now" and seconds later, I heard one of the girls having a nightmare.  She was trying to get out of her bunk, crying, and not sure where she was.  I spoke to her through the darkness of our longhouse and calmed her down until she was able to go back to sleep.  I'm so grateful for the prompting to wake up at just the right time.

I want to always remember the transformation of one of the girls who started the week not talking to anyone and separating herself from everyone else.  By the end of the week, she talked more, participated in everything, helped whenever asked and willingly prayed in front of a large group.

I want to remember welling up while watching my girls lead our camp song.  It starts out rough at the beginning of the week as they figure out their roles and gain confidence but by about Wednesday night, they are working together, a tight-knit and cohesive group.  The camp song (one that the girls write themselves) talks a lot about friendship and special things about our camp.  Seeing them singing together made my heart fill with joy.

I want to never forget how wonderful it was to be reminded how much Heavenly Father loves us.  Two of my girls prayed to find a pair of glasses lost by one of the younger girls in the river.  They prayed two separate times and before long, found the glasses in the murky river. I love that Heavenly Father reminded us that He hears and answers prayers - even for small and simple little things like a lost pair of glasses.

We do a special program for the girls and I never want to forget the look on their faces as they realized all that we had planned for them.  I never want to forget what it felt like seeing them be touched by the spirit that was present.  That moment of looking into their light-filled faces totally made up for every bit of stress I've felt over the last year. 

I want to always remember hugging one of the girls when she asked if I could be her mom.  She had just realized that I don't have any children and this sweet girl doesn't have a mom in her life.  I of course gladly accepted.  She promised to call me the next time she needed me at three in the morning and I promised to always answer the phone.

I never want to forget walking through the camp and singing to the other levels and realizing that this was one of my last opportunities to do that and crying my way through the songs.

I want to remember the laugh the girls made up using my last name:  shawshawshawshawshawshaw.

Even though we camp in stake-wide age-group levels, we do ward testimony meetings on our last night.  I loved ours but want to remember how I was dying to get back to the girls in my level so I could tell them how much I loved them and how grateful I was for each one of them.

I want to remember coming back from brushing my teeth on the last night and the girls surprising me with a little photo album they'd made just for me.  I thought I'd cried every tear possible but, um, no.

I never want to forget that moment on our final day when we were done with clean up and the girls had been given their tickets to leave.  But instead of rushing off to find their rides home, we all stood in a circle looking at each other, not wanting to leave.  A couple of girls left but then nobody else moved from that circle.  We talked about the reunion party we are planning, laughed a little and continued to just stand there, soaking up that last bit of togetherness.  Then I suggested we say one last prayer together and we did.  We hugged and then they all slowly left.  I've never in four years worked with a group of girls who were more tight knit.  I've always had amazing 2nd YCLs.  Always.  (And if you're one of my former 2nd YCLs, you KNOW I thought you were amazing too!) But this group of 14 girls was different than any other.  There were no cliques, nobody was mean to the girls who were different, everyone got along and they all understood the significance of this being their last year attending Young Women Camp.

It was such a gift from my Father in Heaven to be blessed with this special group of young women for my last year in this role.  I truly am blessed beyond measure.