July 4th at Camp Weequahic is fantastic. We’ve got the carnival, great food, a super-fun parade, contests, MTV Night… and then—BOOM!—the fireworks show! The colorful explosions light up the sky, and you can hear everyone gasping, “Ooh!” and “Aah!” as they watch with their friends.

It’s a night we all love, but fireworks only happen once (maybe twice) a year. They burst into the sky, shine bright for a moment, and then—poof!—they’re gone.

Bonfires

Bonfires, though? They’re a whole different experience. Building a bonfire takes a little time. Some of us rush in with tons of excitement but forget to plan and it takes a while to get going. Others build it just right, and it roars to life fast. Either way, once it’s burning, it lasts a long time.

How long? Well, a few years ago, we cleaned up our “Burn the Rope” bonfires and found the ashes still smoldering 12 hours later. Those sneaky little ashes even tried to start a mini-fire until we dumped a bunch of water on them. Lesson learned!

Are bonfires as flashy as fireworks? Maybe not. But they give us something fireworks cannot: warmth to cozy up to, light to see by, a spot to cook marshmallows, and the perfect place to hang out with friends and family, share stories, and laugh together.

A the Little Bonfires

We like to think of Camp Weequahic as a collection of bonfires, not fireworks. We’re all about building friendships and memories that last way beyond the summer. Picture those small groups of kids who’ve been coming for 3, 4, or more summers together—cool kids on their own, but when they team up? Whoosh! It’s like a bonfire that keeps everyone warm and happy.

How do we keep the bonfire burning? By feeding it with care and effort! Have you been missing your camp buddies from last summer? No worries—the ashes are still warm! With a little nudge (like a text or a call), you can get that fire blazing again in no time.

This summer, we can’t wait to welcome back our awesome returning campers and staff. They’ll help us kick off the fun and bring in all our new friends. Let’s make this year’s bonfire the brightest yet!

A t-shirt (or three) covered in nostalgia. A little stuffed raccoon that recognized something remarkable. A small pillow covered in barely legible, incredible vibrant signatures. A picture of summer/lifelong friends doing something totally goofy, out of the ordinary, wonderful.

These are the simple gifts our kids collect and keep from a summer at Weequahic. And the memories that endure through their lives that are forever young. These are moments they will look back upon and smile when the river of life has moved them a long way from their summers by the shore of Sly Lake.

Parents, what are some of the wonderful young memories of your past summers? Do you keep any of the simple gifts from that time? I’ve got a piece of driftwood found and given by a close friend in 1984 still on my closet shelf. Next to it is a perfect ‘skipping rock’ given by my younger brother that has yet to get damp.

We accumulate a lot of ‘things’ in this day and age. Most of the time, these ‘things’ just take up space in our physical world but have little hold or purchase in our internal lives. Marie Kondo instructs us to ask the question ‘does this spark joy?’ If the answer is not ‘yes’, then it’s time to part with it. That which remain can be simple gifts.

But those young memories? They can be as fresh as the daffodils that are blooming now at our winter office for many, many years. They can bring warmth to the cold days of winter and smiles to wind-chapped lips.

The key is to think on them often and use them in a way that propels you forward rather than having you stuck in the past. We humans are a pessimistic species. That trait – enlarging danger – kept us alive to get this historically easy way of life. That trait now holds us back from trying new things, expanding our worlds, and giving ourselves opportunities to really enjoy life and connections.

So, let’s make the decision to look back on those simple gifts, those young memories with a spark of joy. Let’s learn from didn’t work and focus more on the joy. Have a good weekend.

(PS – this was inspired a good bit from a new book that I enjoyed thoroughly – Theo of Golden. It’s a heart-warming, thought-provoking and recommended read.)

One of my favorite hobbies – when I’m not at camp, thinking about camp, or planning for camp – is playing golf. I used to be pretty good. Now that our boys are grown up and (mostly) out of the house, I finally have some time to get back into the game.

Campers, one day you’ll realize that your memory of how good you used to be at something is often way better than your actual, very rusty skills when you try it again.

For example—when I was 12, my gaga game was ELITE. You knuckleheads wouldn’t have stood a chance. Not even close. 😉

The problem? I still think I’m that good. But no matter how hard I try, I haven’t won a single game at Weequahic. Ever. Definitely no longer “elite.”

Same thing goes for my golf skills. So, I’m taking lessons again. And because I love learning, I’ve been reading books about the mental side of the game. This week, I came across something so good that I had to share it. And yes—it totally connects to camp.

Changing Your Mindset: A Camp Lesson

In Golf Beneath the Surface, Dr. Raymond Prior talks about how we handle stressful situations by managing our beliefs. He explains that our reactions come from three things working together:

Activating Events – Something is about to happen that gets our system ‘revved up.’ Beliefs – What you tell yourself about it. Consequences – What that belief leads to, specifically on your thoughts and emotions.

These are the ABCs of your mind. Now, let’s think about this in a camp setting:

A Camp Dilemma

You’re coming back for your second summer. Last year was awesome—but there was one kid in your bunk you just didn’t get along with. And now, every time you think about camp, that’s all you focus on. Instead of remembering the amazing stuff, your brain gets stuck on that one not-so-great thing.

(Which, by the way, is totally normal. Back in the caveman days, remembering bad experiences – like almost getting eaten by a saber-tooth tiger – kept us alive. But now? Not so useful when deciding if camp will be fun.)

So, just thinking about returning to camp gets you all revved up. That’s your activating event. Your belief? “I can’t have fun if that kid is there.” The consequence? You start dreading camp instead of looking forward to it.

Questioning Your Beliefs

But here’s the big question: Is that belief even true? Can you really not have any fun if that one kid is around?

Its probably not true. I mean, camp is FULL of awesome things—friends, counselors, crazy games, campfires, canteen, no school, no tech, cookies. And so much more. One person shouldn’t take away all of that! And, that kid might have some other things going on that you don’t know about. Remember – everyone is carrying things inside that you can’t see.

So, once you decide if your belief isn’t true… the next question is, should you keep it?

The Power of Choice

This is where you get to decide. You can hold on to that belief—but only if you’re okay with the consequences.

But think about this: If your video game controller was totally busted and you had the chance to switch to a better one… wouldn’t you? Or if you were playing soccer and the ball was flat… wouldn’t you swap it out?

Of course, you would.

And you can do the same thing with your beliefs. If you realize a belief is wrong or keeping you from something great, you have the power to change it.

So, what will you choose?

ABCs of Life

Of course, this isn’t just about camp – it’s about life. One of the coolest superpowers we have as humans is the ability to think about what we’re thinking. We can question whether something is really true or just a story we’re telling ourselves.

Camp Dog Maverick? He doesn’t have that power. If you drop a hot dog at the Saturday night cookout, he’s not stopping to question his choices. He just eats it – zero hesitation, no deep thoughts about the future… or how sick he’ll get after four or five of them!

But you? You get to decide what beliefs to hold onto. So next time you feel nervous about a test, a piano recital, or asking a friend to hang out, and your brain whispers, “This is going to go terribly…” – STOP. Question that belief. Then change it into something that actually helps you get closer to what you want.

A-B-C. Not always as simple as 1-2-3, but way more powerful.

Have an awesome weekend!