When I was a kid, my mom had a phrase for absolutely everything that did not go my way. Didn’t get the teacher I wanted? “Things happen for a reason.” Landed on a different swim team than my best friend? “That just wasn’t meant to be.” Didn’t get the part I auditioned for? “Remember, sweetheart — everything happens for a reason.” I found it maddening. I did not want a reason. I wanted the part.
Now I am the adult in the room, and I hear my own voice doing the exact same thing — telling a homesick camper on her second night away that this is going to turn out okay, promising a nervous camper, worried he isn’t fitting in, that his cabin is about to become the best thing that happens to him all summer. I sound just like my mother. And the longer I do this job, the more I believe her.
Because today, on the last full day of activities in Session B, I watched it prove itself all over again. Two weeks ago, campers drove through the check-in line teary-eyed, unsure about camp, wondering if they would make it the full two weeks. Today, those same kids ran past me on their way to Camper’s Choice, arms looped through their best friend’s, telling me they cannot believe how fast it has all gone. Nothing that worried them two weeks ago mattered anymore. It had simply worked itself out — the way my mother always promised things would.
Today camp was alive for Camper’s Choice day. Campers scattered to the places they loved most — back to the activity that had become a favorite, back to the friend who had become family. I watched campers choosing each other, over and over, all day long. Not because a schedule told them to. Because they wanted to.
There is something worth noticing in that. Given a whole day and no restrictions, these kids didn’t scatter — they gathered. They chose the lake because their best friend would be there. They chose the Crow’s Nest because their cabin had promised each other they’d finish the course together before the session ended. Freedom, for them, didn’t mean going off on their own. It meant getting to choose exactly who to be close to.
I honestly cannot believe how fast this session has gone. It feels like just yesterday we were all earning our mudslide, dancing the Cupid Shuffle in a crowded dining hall because everyone knows dessert tastes better when you’ve danced for it. Tomorrow night, we will be gathered at closing campfire, and the Session B 2026 chapter will close. Somewhere between the Cupid Shuffle and tomorrow’s fire, two weeks disappeared — and I am still trying to figure out how.
This session has been unforgettable. Not just because of the stomach bug that swept through camp and gave our Health Hut staff a real workout. It was unforgettable because of everything else that filled these days on Old Forge Mountain: beautiful weather that kept us outside from sunup to lights out. Evening programs that had every cabin laughing, cheering and dancing well past dinner. Off-camp adventures that took us down the mountain and back with new stories to tell. The 250th July 4th celebration, one of the proudest, loudest days on our whole summer calendar. And tonight, our Monte Carlo Carnival — a dunk tank, tightrope walking, card games, world’s tallest man, yodeling, delicious treats and prizes - everyone was soaking up the last drop of fun.
Through all of it, one thing stayed constant: the cabin unit, this camp family, choosing each other again and again. At Reflect at the Rock, in line to wash hands at the dining hall, on the walk up to the Crow’s Nest, in the last five minutes before lights out — TOGETHER. That is the word that has carried this whole session, and today, on Camper’s Choice, it was written into every single hour.
Parents, thank you for trusting us with these two weeks. We know what it means to hand over your children, and it is a privilege we do not take lightly. We have watched your kids try things they were scared of, sit with friends they will love for years, and choose, over and over, to live each day with courage, honesty, integrity and faith.
Looking back on this whole session — the mudslide, the sunshine, the 250th, the sick days, the day hikes, the EPs — I do not think any of it was an accident. The friendships, the weather, the way this particular group of campers and counselors ended up together on this particular mountain for these particular two weeks. My mother would tell me it happened for a reason and she would be right.
Tomorrow night, we will end where we began - at campfire. This is my last blog of the session. Tomorrow we will take our camp panoramic photo in the morning after breakfast, savor our cold popsicles, pack up our trunks, attend an awards ceremony, watch the HBA finals and enjoy one last dinner with our cabinmates while we enjoy pizza in our cabin. After our final campfire, we will head to the gym and watch a slideshow of all the amazing photos from our photographers this session (thank you Amy & Brooke) and relive this incredible session that was truly Meant to B.
Favorite Details of The Day
- Weather: We had a beautiful day at camp. A perfect Camper’s Choice day in the sunshine!
- Meals: For breakfast, campers and staff were SO excited to walk into the dining hall and see DONUTS waiting for them. Ava’s Donuts are the very best, and we loved this sweet treat as well as scrambled eggs, bacon, fresh fruit, yogurt and granola. For lunch we had ground beef tacos with hard and soft shells, homemade guacamole, chips and salsa, and a salad and sandwich bar. Dinner was chipotle honey chicken, roasted broccoli and white rice with a salad and sandwich bar.
- Evening Program: EP was Monte Carlo and the Gillespie Gymnasium was transformed into our carnival. We played games, enjoyed sweet treats like Root Beer floats and cinnamon & sugar pretzels and more. It was the perfect way to end this fantastic session!
About Melissa Fitzgerald
