There’s a song from “A Chorus Line” ( a Broadway show) — “Everything is Beautiful at the Ballet.” It was sung by a young woman whose early life and surroundings had been difficult and depressing.
I was that girl. For me, everything was beautiful at Camp Hagan. Summers at camp meant escape from home, immersing myself in nature, learning and growing in new activities, accomplishing goals, meeting girls unlike the ones at home, and creating lasting friendships that still exist today.
I am forever grateful that my mother had the foresight to send me to camp.
At camp we always sang grace at every meal. Most of them have been forgotten, but not this one —
“God has created a new day
Silver and green and gold
Live that the sunset shall find us
Worthy his gifts to hold.”
That grace captured the essence of Camp Hagan. As we left Great Hall, the early sun-filled mornings were truly silver and green and gold. From the beginning of the day to the end, the program and the relationships from counselor to camper and between campers inspired me to reach inside myself and try to become worthy of our camp’s ideals.