Texas Lions Camp

I met the most amazing kids last week, amazing! I visited the Texas Lions Camp, in Keriville. I wasn’t familiar with the work that they do until recently, but I can’t begin to tell you how impressed I am with this camp. The tour, wow, just wow! The camp is 500 acres of fun. Swimming, horse-back riding, archery, tennis, arts and crafts, rock climbing, thearter, just to name a few (“Tylan…truth!”). The staff, directors, camp-leaders, love what they do, believe in this program, and most importantly believe in the kids. You wouldn’t know it by the smiles, and there’s no need to discuss it, but these kids are all unique. We discussed writing and illustrations, common books, ideas, and goals, but though I hoped you couldn’t tell, I struggled to focus (this is not uncommon for me), I couldn’t stop staring at the beautiful children that sat before me. As I watched these kids, watch me, I noticed two things immediately: (1) they were listening (awesome), and (2) despite what could be considered difficulities to some, they were all alike that day or  that week in camp and they knew it. Beautiful! I wanted the kids to grab a tiny piece of the information that I had to share, that they’d learn something. Just in case a little writer happened to be sitting in the room; that they’d see that they can write a beautiful story if they want too, and that they’d could be better writers than me. I hoped they’d learn something, anything, even if it was that they didn’t want to write at all. At one point, one of the girls groups and the boys wrote a story, turned it into a play, and performed it.  I loved it! I spoke to the children in small groups, all day. I never once got bored and I hoped they didn’t, though almost lost my voice. One beautiful little boy, Tylan, took me and the camp directors by surprise, he stood up at the end of my presentation and delivered the most incredible speech of his own. Each sentence started with the word, “Truth!” It was lovely! I just couldn’t help but grab him and hug him. If you haven’t visited, donated, or spent time at the Texas Lions Camp, please check out their website www.lionscamp.com   You just never know what one person might be able to do. You may have something that you can contribute or  you be able to donate. I imagine everything counts.