I learned a lot about home and what makes it this summer.
The first thing that comes to mind when I hear the word home is Edward Sharpe's song "home"- home is where ever i'm with you. Home is filled with people you love, isn't necessarily a place but a feeling that fills the space and time you are existing. Home can be made anywhere you are. Home in terms of sports means where the player is free from attack. Home is a safe zone, it fosters confidence, it is familiar.
For many of the children I worked with this summer Ramapo is the closest thing that they have to home. Many of the counselors may not come from as harsh of backgrounds yet they have lacked the feeling and Ramapo becomes a home. Part of what makes Ramapo so unique in its culture is this fact. Each person comes seeking or ready to give the support that is essential for every human being to feel as we move through life. I have been fortunate to come from an environment where that support was in place and readily given. I know where I am going, who I am and what my purpose is in being here. Due to these simple circumstances I was able to come to camp and share so much more of who I am. While Ramapo has given me so much more to work with in life, i am still fundamentally me.
Saying goodbye to Ramapo this morning was filled with mixed emotions I don't feel the attachment that most people were struggling to let go of. As I reflect on my feelings, I continue to understand it is because of the solid foundation I came with. At 20 years old most people are still exploring and forming their world. It makes perfect sense that people who really find themselves at Ramapo will have such strong associations with that place in the small town of Rhinebeck NY. The bitter sweet part of it all was saying goodbye to the wonderful people I met and that is when I really understood that Ramapo is a sort of home and that the human lives that came in contact with one another are forever apart of a family. A family bonded over dealing with 18 hour work days, special needs children, and a whole lot of love to give.
Ramapo is a home where people cry, laugh, and grow together. For moments such as these:
For kids who have so much potential to do wonderful things and are given the unfair lack of positive role models.
For kids whose eyes speak honestly and openly for them
for kids who find different ways to speak.
For people who are starting new and seeking happiness. For friendships that were by no small coincidence.
Ramapo offers the lessons of relationship building, leadership, and independence that are taught in the home. We seek to empower the child, give each staff a way to lead in their own right. (Side note: leaders don't need to be upfront and carismatic. If there is any lesson that I have learned this summer it's that the most powerful leaders come from behind they share their ideas and let them mingle with everyone else's. They encourage people to step out of their comfort zones, they provide opportunity for others to step up. A leader is someone who comes from with in and provides a means or direction to help get others to where they want. They help those they are leading become self sufficient because they won't be able to be there forever. A leader is really someone who helps lift people to their whole potential. They are no greater than those they lead. We are all the same)
I find it sad that many people only experience the support and love that a home should be filled with at Ramapo. Yet how wonderful is it that they can experience that feeling and then seek to recreate it as their life moves forward. This summer has been long, it's been hard, been messy. At the same time this summer was filled with opportunity, growth, and love. The summer filled me with and even greater gratitude of what I have in life and love for the work I am moving towards. The last 10 weeks I have created a sort of home at Ramapo, more out of love than necessity. Camp is a safe place for many and it holds a special place in my heart and the lessons I have learned are inside of me.
Home was found with the people of the Kingston ward. Accepted with love and joy, the people of the Kingston ward were so humble. Very few youth. Yet the love and bond those people share is moving. It is a testament that Christ's love is real and that we can find our heavenly home anywhere we are.
I'm ready to be home. Home in the familiar reach of my family. With people I care deeply about. To Utah where the mountains reach the sky, are my protectors, and offer serenity. To the open arms of those I hold closest. Where standards aren't questioned. Home. It's a feeling. It's a place. It's safe.
Ramapo for Children was a place that not only opened my eyes to autism awareness but the work that I want to do as I move forward in life. Summer was incredible. I'm exhausted and it was worth every second.
