The day started out the same as any other at SCATS. All the campers and counselors had breakfast together and then went their separate ways. The campers were off to class; the counselors were off to plan activities for the day. Except, today there were no activities to plan. There was no community time to prepare for. There were no notes to take down for a meeting with my campers. This was it. We met again at lunch and all got some one last chance to have a meal together and share laughs and thoughts before we had to depart again. The afternoon brought a little more anxiety than the morning. While I was happy that the campers would get to reunite with their families, I wasn’t prepared for the buildings to be as empty as they were before the campers moved in. When my campers came back from their last classes, we exchanged a few words and they went off to pack.
Minutes later, parents began showing up to take their children home. As they checked out, I said my goodbyes to all my campers and watched them leave for home. I would not see them again for a long time and I had been dreading it the whole day. It was with happiness I reflected on the short time we had together. It was with hope that I looked towards their future. But it was with sorrow I watched them leave.