Autism Wins

 courtesy of  Jean Rheem photography

Today it hit me that there are only two weeks of camp left.  Faceplams*

When I first started working at Camp Royall, I had not the slightest grasp on what I was getting myself into.  If I had had to define ASD then, I would have foolishly blurted out some lame, textbook definition lacking personality and truth.  And after that first week of training (i.e. the first time that said definition finally gained some dimension), I seriously doubted my strength and commitment to perform such a challenging job for the next two months that were ahead of me.  But then I met people, REAL people.  And all my fears and worries melted away; I understood the importance of honesty and trust, instead.  I saw how my campers trusted me, bearing their true skins (figuratively and literally, quite frankly), knowing full well that it was because they, too, understood my honest intent of making camp the best week of their lives!  

I have grown several years in the realm of responsibility and have traveled through light years of love in such a short (yet intense) amount of time.  At camp, I am responsible for the mental and physical well-being of another human being (yeah, I know...it blows my mind too).  For this reason, campers must fly quickly past the category of stranger and nestle themselves safely and securely into the welcoming arms of the family that Camp Royall is.  

And I have not the opportunity to even think about being selfish here.  I have gone weeks forgetting about my personal health and hygiene because of how much of a priority the happiness of my campers has become for me (I love that I don't bother to put makeup on anymore)!  Many of my campers have been younger than me and many have been much, much older than me.  But, all have been as easy with which to form friendships and care about on a level comparable to the way a mother must inherently feel about her child.  

The camper/counselor relationship that I have experienced this summer is like the strongest magnet that can't be pulled apart: Two things very different but fused together by a bond as straightforward as blind love.  And as each person learns, reciprocally, from the other, it becomes a bond truly unique to this wonderful camp and community of Autism enthusiasts in North Carolina.

courtesy of Carina Shojinaga photography

The best part about this whole experience is that I finally feel like my life has some kind of direction.  Now that I have discovered the way working with people with Autism makes me feel, I can't go back to feeling anything less.  My life is changed forever (dramatic, yes, but the way I truly feel).