Is there anything better than getting a letter from your kid while he’s at Sleep-away camp?? How about when all three of your kids are at summer camp and write you? How about when all three write that they’re having a great time? Personally, I don’t think it gets better than that. Yes they’re away, yes you miss them like crazy, but knowing they’re having fun while exploring their independence and doing some healthy fending for themselves makes all the difference. I mean after all, what are shooting for as parents? Is my kid going to be the next Einstein? Probably not. The next Michael Jordan? Definitely not. Rich or famous? I wish but who really knows. But what I truly hope and wish for them is to be happy and independent. That’s my job. To create a loving and nurturing environment where my children feel secure and happy and eventually go their own way to lead a full, rich and independent life. I can’t imagine a better place for kids to experience this first step at independence while having the time of their life than at Sleep-away camp.

So when those letters arrive in my mailbox and I open them I can see my kids’ smiles through their chicken scratch handwriting and I can sense them rushing through the letter so they can go back to their friends to enjoy more laughs, run out the bunk to go on to the next adventure and take one more tiny exciting step towards forging their own life.