Weekends

I loved my counselors, I loved the river, and even learned how to sail on Canyon Lake. I still sing all the old camp songs that we sang every day after lunch to my little girl, who's five, every night before bed. I always end with, 'I love the mountains, I love the rolling hills ...' and then Taps.

My years at Rocky River were some of the most wonderful times in my life. My sister (Laura) and I still spend hours talking about our fun times there. We still remember our days of swimming in the river, riding horses and water skiing. I can't wait until my little girl can experience all the joy and fun I had as a child for herself.

The truth is I would not have become the person I am today without RRR! Making decisions for classes at 7 years old (with the help of a big sister and Rue as my counselor), remembering to wear your bathing suit under your jeans so you could go from the barn to the pool without the dreaded trip back to your cabin, remembering not to sign up for your pool class right before horseback … I could go on and on. The mistakes we made there were safe and there was a support system to catch you if you fell. Later I enjoyed working with the campers younger than me. First in WE as a big sister myself and later as a CIT Mom. In 14 years I grew and strengthened my commitment to myself. I felt loved unconditionally and I formed everlasting friendships. Some of them recently re-kindled after a 15-20 year gap as if no time had passed at all. In the last year I received a letter from a former CIT that spoke of my influence on her life. How it made her a better mother and a better woman. I have saved that letter for my children to read one day. I will always feel like Skeet and Sandy helped raise me and they always saw the person I could be! I can never thank them enough for that.

I would definitely not be the person I am today without the experience of camp. I remember being 7 years old and so excited about my first camp experience. I don't think I slept the entire night before leaving. When I arrived at camp it was the most wonderful place I had ever seen. Rue was my first counselor and she took the time to show me around and introduced me to the other girls. I was scared at first, but it did not last long. By the end of the first night camp already felt like a second home. By the end of my first two weeks I did not want to leave. Rocky River was a part of my life forever. In the end what I took away from camp was friendship, love, respect and confidence.

RRR is not just two months of SCREAMING prepubescent girls singing songs in the Grubstake, Free Swim at the river or raids on other cabins, it becomes a way of life that helps guide you through the rest of your life. Not unlike the Marines who are brothers for life, those of us who were campers and counselors are sisters for life and will do anything to help each other, no questions asked!

I would not be the person I have become today if it were not for Skeet and Sandy. One of the biggest lessons I ever learned in life was from Sandy — I fell off a horse and Sandy made me get right back on. I had no idea what impact that lesson would mean to my life, but I have to say it has become one of the most valuable.