For a teacher, summers are very interesting. Summer is the escape from the normal routine that we follow everyday for ten months of the year. There are no weekends. Everyday is a weekend. Even when you have a summer job, it's still not school. Because of this, the summers of a teacher tend to be their own entity. We enter not knowing what will happen and then we leave with the assumption that it will be forgotten, at least until the following June. However, what happens when a special summer approaches and we don't want to forget? Is it just inevitable? Are we supposed to simply place it in the file called "summer" and move on with our lives? It's ironic that teachers are seen as the leaders of children, yet when it comes to summer, our lives and attitudes are very similar to the ones we teach.
This summer, for me, has gone beyond that. I met four people this summer. We work together at a camp, a very popular place for teachers to work over the summer. Our ages range from 18 to 25. I am the second oldest and the only male of the group. My relationship with each is different. Each of us bring a unique quality to the group, which is why I think we work so well as a team.
As I enter the last week of camp, I find myself very sad. I'm fine with camp ending. It was a stressful summer where I realized more than ever that the camp environment is not one for me. Though at the same time, I feel a sadness coming over me. Does the bond that I have formed with these people end when the job ends? We say we will keep in touch, but is it true? Just how strong does the friendship have to be in order to surpass the label "summer"?
This summer has reminded me how important our relationships really are. We can't take people for granted because each person that comes into our lives is there to teach us something - about life, about ourselves, and about the world. These four girls will forever be in my heart and I will cherish the relationship I have with each one of them. They've reminded me that the old cliche is true: "everything happens for a reason."
This summer, for me, has gone beyond that. I met four people this summer. We work together at a camp, a very popular place for teachers to work over the summer. Our ages range from 18 to 25. I am the second oldest and the only male of the group. My relationship with each is different. Each of us bring a unique quality to the group, which is why I think we work so well as a team.
As I enter the last week of camp, I find myself very sad. I'm fine with camp ending. It was a stressful summer where I realized more than ever that the camp environment is not one for me. Though at the same time, I feel a sadness coming over me. Does the bond that I have formed with these people end when the job ends? We say we will keep in touch, but is it true? Just how strong does the friendship have to be in order to surpass the label "summer"?This summer has reminded me how important our relationships really are. We can't take people for granted because each person that comes into our lives is there to teach us something - about life, about ourselves, and about the world. These four girls will forever be in my heart and I will cherish the relationship I have with each one of them. They've reminded me that the old cliche is true: "everything happens for a reason."
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