Reflections from the Summer Camp Nurse

On a late June day in the summer of 2005, I stepped foot onto the Glen Brook property for the first time. I was 10 years old, and I had never done anything like the three week adventure I was about to embark on. Despite the moments of homesickness along the way, I returned home forever changed by the incredible experience that was my first summer as a Glen Brook camper. I had several more summers as a camper, each as amazing as the one before. When I graduated high school and went off to college, Glen Brook remained in the back of my mind as I heard from my younger siblings, family friends, and those from my Waldorf community back home that were experiencing the magic that is being a part of the Glen Brook community. I never imagined I would find my way back, but I am so grateful I did. 

Nineteen years after my first summer as a camper, I returned to Glen Brook as the summer camp nurse, and this past summer, I spent my second summer in that role. As the nurse, I have a unique position at camp. The health room is a place that everyone knows exists, but many do their best to avoid. Yet those that need it are met with a calm, quiet space to recover. 

It’s also a gift to see that community circle around campers who are sick or injured. There are times when we have to limit access to the health room to prevent the spread of illness, but that doesn’t stop campers from sending notes or drawings to their friends, showing up with a group of friends and singing softly at the doorway, or stopping by to offer to bring anything up from the cabins that might be needed. Even as the nurse, the campers noticed if I wasn’t working for a day or two, and over the course of the summer I was gifted with several get well cards – a reminder that I too was a part of this special community. 

In a world that is constantly changing, it is a wonderful feeling to come back to a place almost 20 years later and realize how few things have changed. The mission of Glen Brook and the core values that we all agree to uphold when we join this community remain the same, all these years later. Sitting on the lawn during evening singing, I’m brought back to being that 10-year-old girl again, singing the MTA Song alongside her cabin mates, several of which I am still in touch with today. I remember the butterflies in my stomach as I dressed up for banquet as a camper for the first time, and as I sit in the dining room as an adult, watching the campers take in the magic of the evening, I can’t help but feel grateful. Grateful that despite so much change in our world, Glen Brook remains the safe, inclusive, loving community that allows campers and staff alike to be present as themselves. Grateful that the rituals and celebrations I enjoyed so much as a camper are still ones that campers today get to experience. Watching the campers, I only hope that they hold onto and cherish the memories into adulthood in the way that I have. As an adult, I have witnessed the incredible time and effort that goes into making camp what it is. From the CITs and their endless hard work, to the counselors, the farm staff, the kitchen team, the admin team, and of course the health room team as well, it truly takes a village to care for this community, and to keep things running smoothly. Without this incredibly dedicated team, Glen Brook would not be the place it is today. 

-Nurse Anna White, Summer Camp Nurse