A Beautiful Sunday Morning Together
By Liz Webler
The quiet moments of camp community are some of my very favorite at this point in my life. In my 20s, I was eager for a C-scow on a windy day—to throw my torso back into the water while some capable person skippered. But, I’m 48 with the tasks of two kids in the house, earning an income and growing a marriage. Collectively they offer me plenty of roller coaster thrill and hurricane swirl. That’s prelude to this: I was so happy to join the planning committee and tackle Sunday Service with Steph Schlecht.
As a way to organize the morning, we focused on our relationship to the land.
Through the cold winter months, I carved out bits of time for that old rest-hour activity: pouring over books and considering, will they work?
After the opening night fun, volunteers gathered to take up the prepared readings. Then the mild stage fright anxiety settled in. Will it really work?
The next morning, we walked quietly and carefully out to Sunday service on an overcast, slightly chilly morning—lowering the chance for motorboat distractions. Because we join across generations, we set out songbooks on the wooden benches—life preservers to keep our uncommon choir from sinking into mumbling humming.
We quieted. Let the breeze mess with our hair.
We listened to some musings on the land.
We were invited to sit together in silence.
We heard community member names who took their last portage since our last reunion.
We sang a camp song that felt right.
We listened to a Mary Oliver poem.
We sang a song of Halokwe.
We listened to a meditation by Pema Chödrön.
We listened to a solo.
We contemplated some of Ralph Waldo Emerson’s observations.
We listened to another solo.
We slipped into our familiar closing song. In the final humming verse, we carefully and orderly emptied the benches and walked back to the mainland for dinner.
I hope I speak for all those able to join: Poetry, song, and quiet company amidst the trees and our sisters—known and not yet known—felt singular and nourishing.
This is the third in a series of Reunion Sparks to share memories from our 90th Reunion. Additional sparks are linked below.
- Note from our Reunion Chair
- Welcome Reception
- Regatta(s)
- Council Fire
- Our Camp Stories – a NEW project started at the Reunion
- Final Banquet
By Kat Bramley