Tag Archives: Cancer

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What’s in a name?

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As I finish up the week with Camp Kesem at Notre Dame, I feel compelled to share Peter Pants story. Peter Pants is on the admin team. The admin team consists of anywhere from 5-10 college students who are in charge of running camp. They do things like set up for activities, actually make the camp schedule, round everyone up when it’s time to change activities and so on.

The first day someone asked Peter Pants what her name meant. Apparently when she was in grade school she had an accident and was called this. I didn’t ask how long because it broke my heart. Why are human beings so mean to each other?

I’ve thought about this a lot this summer. If everyone would treat each other the way they do at camp, the world would be a much better place. No one here cares what your sexual orientation is, what gender you identify as, if you are a male and let the girls French braid your hair, if you let the little kids put make up on and paint your nails. The outside world is so judgmental and ridiculous.

I’ve written about empowerment in the past. One of my favorite activities is the step in, step out. Step in if you have ever been bullied was so powerful. Every single person including yours truly stepped in. When they said step in if you ever lost a parent, it hit me really hard. I had fifty-four years with my dad, some of the kids that stepped in were under ten. It was even mentioned how hard it is to go to school activities where everyone’s dad is there except for yours because he’s dead. Empowerment is hard when you realize how much these kids are dealing with. Kudos to Camp Kesem for giving kids a week with each other!

Mole Moral ~ One should think long and hard before they say mean things. Words do indeed hurt people and can last a lifetime.

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Empowerment

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I’m not sure if I have ever written about this part of camp Kesem but it’s the most important and emotional part of camp. It usually occurs on the second to last day of camp.

It starts with all of camp designing a paper bag with why they Kesem. Kesem is for kids whose parents have or have had cancer or are no longer on earth. This year Wildflower (who is the camp director, I worked with two years ago when I did a different Arizona camp and then ran into last year at Arkansas camp) handed me one so here is what I came up with.

Yes I still draw like I’m five years old!

After this activity everyone gets in a circle and we do step in and step out. The leader reads a statement such as step in if you’ve ever worried about your parent. Step out. After just a few of these it’s obvious that everyone has felt every one of these things and it screams you are not alone and you are not weird.

Then two circles are formed and inner circle closes their eyes. The narrator then reads statements tap someone who made you laugh, tap someone you made as a new friend etc. The circle reverse so everyone gets tapped many times. After this the sharing circle begins. The kids have a choice if they want to share their story. I would guess it’s usually about fifty percent that will talk.

After sharing is finished a skein of yarn is passed around and each person wraps it around their wrist and passes to the next thereby connecting everyone. Then the string is cut and you are left with a bracelet to remind you that you are not alone.

This is the magic of Kesem. The college kids pour so much time and energy into this camp that it is mind blowing. They are all trained to assist with the big feelings this brings up and do a really good job.

After this hard emotional feelings a fun activity is planned for the evening. Every camp has done a dance party except WI is planning a happy hour. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t excited and can’t wait to see what it’s all about.

Mole Moral~ If you know any parents with cancer or who have passed and they have children 5-18 set them up with this camp. It’s amazing and the kids love it.

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A Christmas Miracle (sort of)

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My brother-in-law Chris was diagnosed with stage four lymphoma almost two years ago. It was bad enough that conventional chemo wouldn’t do any good (or they may have tried it, I can’t remember) so they offered him experimental chemo without much hope. He was in the Army stationed in WA at the time. He was home last Thanksgiving and in my usual CR self I told him not to die until after he retired from the army (which was a year later) so Brian’s sister and my nephew would have military benefits for life.

He came home to Missouri last week for good. I think he is officially retired at the beginning of January but is using vacation time until then. He went out to Siteman for a treatment and they told him he is in remission. Yes, remission from stage four lymphoma. I am not going to lie, if someone told me this would be the result I would have told them to go take a toke off of their crack pipe! I was so shocked when I heard the news today that I had to share on my blog. God certainly works in crazy ways!

 

Mole moral ~ It’s so nice when negative Nelly (me with medical stuff) is wrong and God surprises me. I am praying for remission to last a long time! Continue reading →