DAY 157

Miss Ten has attended Camp Kesem for the last four years. Kesem is a camp for kids who have been affected by cancer in a parent. https://www.campkesem.org/

College Boy started at Camp Kesem in 2012, the summer after his mom was diagnosed. He attended every year until he was too old to go as a camper, then he went two years as a CIT (counselor in training). When my daughter told me that Miss Ten would be able to start at camp when she turned six I said "we can't send a six-year-old away to camp for a week!" She picked her camp name when she was three. She watched her brother go off to camp without her for years and by the time she turned six she was totally ready to go. And I was ready to send her.

The counselors are volunteer college students. Some of them started as campers themselves. I have heard many of them say that Kesem is the best week out of their year. I can't say enough about what a wonderful organization this is. These kids get together for one week in the summer and find the "magic" that is Kesem. On the way home from camp his first year College Boy told his mom, "I hate cancer but if it wasn't for cancer I wouldn't get to know all these people."

The campers and counselors have a reunion in the fall and in the spring so that they can keep the magic going throughout the year. The spring reunion was scheduled for March 22nd, 2020. It was canceled due to Covid-19. A few weeks later we got the news that camp would not be happening in person this year. This was a huge disappointment to the campers who so look forward to it, and to the parents who wait all year for a week without kids.

The Kesem organization pulled together and created an entire week of online camp activities for the campers. Today is Day 1 of Camp Kesem at Home for Miss Ten. She received a box a few days ago full of things she will be using for camp. A camp shirt, a pink hat (because she is in the pink unit this year), a s'more flavored pop tart, and lots more. The schedule lists Facebook live videos and several Zoom meetings every day. We have to video Miss Ten for the virtual talent show that will be shown on Friday.

It's going to be an interesting week.