I am home alone with the 2 younger kids for this weekend, C and J went on a "Dad and Me" camping trip - their second in two years. As with the first camping trip, it is J who is really looking forward to it, C just goes along with her... dragging his feet. :)
Same time last year, C was very proud to report to me that he was one of the first dads to put up the tent. I remember...
They returned to their tent late afternoon, planning to take a well-deserved respite from the afternoon's activities, only to find that the heavy downpour had found a way inside their "water-proof" tent. Everything was soaking wet. From the sleeping bags that they attentively laid out, the bags that they thoughtfully placed at the sides of the tent to make way for ease of entry, to the shirts, toiletries and cooking/grilling utensils. To make matters worse, the 4 sides of the tent not covered by the rain trap were now also dripping with water.
She persisted in encouraging him to go out and ask if someone had an extra tent, "Come on, dad, it never hurts to ask," she prodded. And luckily, the camp had one more tent to spare - and it was the last one! C admitted later on that were it not for her encouraging spirit, he was just about ready to give up and head home already. Of course, being a parent, he did not want to show any reaction other than a positive one. But J is perceptive with emotions, it has always been her gift that she could read through people easily. Poor C! He had to take down the drenched tent and put up the new one.
It was lights out at the camping ground by 10pm. Everybody was tired and retreated to their tents, ready to call it a night. A few minutes before midnight, J woke up and wanted to go to the bathroom. It was raining lightly as they stepped out of their tent to make way to the toilet which was nearby. Lightning helped illuminate what would otherwise be a dark path. As luck would have it, the drizzle quickly turned into a downpour as they made their way back to the tent. The uproar made by the thunder competed with the noise that the heavy rain water made as it plowed into the ground. J worried about the lightning striking them as they go to sleep, however, she was swiftly assured by C that no such thing would happen. Taking his word to heart, she was soon sound asleep.
C came home learning a whole lot about J. And he is so proud of the way she turned out. She was an encourager, who kept him focused on the positive side of things, even as they faced disaster upon disaster at the camp site. She was a joyful companion who kept things light and easy with her animated banter and silly jokes. A considerate and undemanding girl who always thinks of her friends and loved ones. She may not always put their needs before hers, but she is always perceptive of their wants and tolerant of their shortcomings.
I am excited to have them back home tomorrow night and hear their camp stories. Already, I know it is a different adventure as they updated me this afternoon that they tried the zipline activity.
Image credit: JAOPhotography
