Glen Brook’s Magic Keeps us Floating

When asked what I did over this summer, I respond by sharing that I worked at sleep away camp for eight weeks. I am often met with responses like, “Wow, that must be a lot of work,” but also, “That must be so rewarding.” To these, I respond, “Yes.” These statements remind me of how lucky I am to have spent time at a place that means so much to me that I will, without a doubt, drop anything to spend my summers there. When asked what it was like, I am urged to share how I spent my summer beautifully, floating on the waters of the Glen Brook Magic.

One night, on my second canoeing trip of the summer, I asked my campers to do rose, bud, thorn on the water, floating in our canoes. It was late in the evening, and as the sun set and the stars came out, I was brought down to the most simple moments in life. As a camp counselor, we have few moments to reflect. Life is hectic and busy. It was difficult to find the words to say how I felt in that moment, but mostly, I felt incredibly grateful. Grateful for simplicity. Grateful for wonderful people. Grateful for this place.

I am so lucky that over the decade that I’ve been spending summers at Glen Brook, my love for it has only grown, and that since becoming a CIT and now a counselor, being able to bring the magic to the children is simply the reward of our hard work.

As we float through summer after summer, the water is ever changing. New faces come and go, new experiences are brought in, but what stays steady is the vessel that we travel on; we float upon the values of joy, gratitude, hard work, art and music, and so much more. These values keep Glen Brook afloat, through years of change, uncertainty, and an unpredictable world. Glen Brook is the steady water that we can return to each year, to step away from our outside lives and find ourselves afloat again—in the company of people both young and old who we can lean on, and a vessel that will carry us through the summer.

-Solveig George, Summer Camp Counselor