by Suzette Belz, VP of Development and Major Gifts
Last week, I mentioned that my daughter Isabella (Izzie) was attending Matolly for the first time. I remember the anticipation preparing for this experience. I was so excited for her to go to Matolly. It is an experience of a lifetime – and my girl was going to experience it all. Izzie kept going back and forth on whether I should come visit her at lunch time or not. She was afraid that she was going to be homesick if she saw me. The best was when she told me, “Mom, I would rather that you don’t come see me because I should experience what other campers are experiencing. It will not be fair that you are there and other parents aren’t.” I was so proud of her for realizing that. I almost felt like my daughter grew in front of my eyes the very second she said that.
I remember the day I dropped her off … so many emotions went through our heads. I knew I was going to miss my little girl but I was confident she was going to love it. I know this because I have heard so many Matolly alumni telling me what it was like to be at Matolly. I also have witnessed the fun during musical lunches at Matolly. These girls are free, they are being themselves, and they are just having fun. I have witnessed the bonds between counselors and campers and the friendships forming in front of my eyes. I was excited because she was about to experience all that and more. What I didn’t know is that I was going to become the mom that prepared care packages (with snacks and even Hawaiian skirts for Izzie and all her cabin mates to wear for the Luau BBQ), the mom that wrote letters every day, and couldn’t wait for 8 o’clock to check Bunk 1 to see pictures of the day and see her smiling face each evening. It almost felt as though her smile didn’t fit on her face because of how happy she was.
I was waiting for a note from her almost every day. I was so excited when I got a pony express from Izzie saying she was having an amazing time and was asking to go back to Matolly next year already. I knew it!
The day to pick her up arrived. I was so excited to see her but as I was driving through camp, I started to feel nostalgic because I knew she was going to be sad to leave but I couldn’t wait to hug her. As I was approaching Algonquin Village, there she was running as fast as she could toward me with the biggest smile on her face; she was happy to see me and I couldn’t wait until she reached me so I could hug her tight. She told me right away how much she missed us but also said she didn’t want to leave. There was so much excitement in her voice. I was so happy she had so much fun.
We were driving home and I loved hearing all the stories about her counselors, her new friends and all the activities she got to participate in. Then she started to sigh with a tone of nostalgia. “Tell me why the stars do shine. Tell me why the ivy twines. Tell me why the sky’s so blue. Tell me Matollionequay, just why we love you.”
As time went by, I could see the sadness in her eyes. She wanted to be at Matolly all over again. I asked her what is so special about Matolly, and her response was: “the bonds that you create with counselors and new friends.” That sums it all up.
She started to beg me to please sign her up for the next session, then for two weeks next summer. At one point she even asked me if she could go for the entire summer next year. She cried because she is already missing her counselors: Julie, Laura, Nicki, Megan, Liv, Shannon, Kayleigh, Grace, Emma, Liv, Deanna, Cate, and of course, Gab (Matolly director).
I now can relate to those parents whose children only want to be at camp – and I don’t blame them. They are right! Camp is a wonderful place. Whether children attend day camp or overnight camp, kids can be themselves, they are accepted for who they are, they create bonds with their counselors and new friends, and many of them just simply find a home away from home. Izzis is lucky. She got to experience the best of both worlds (Stockwell and Matolly). I want to thank all the staff that work so hard to make children feel at home at camp – including my own.