The Caterpillars’ Journey
The fall is a beautiful time at ‘Z’ Frank Apachi. Our fall flowers are blooming, the grass has returned to all the fields and the leaves are beginning to change colors adding a spectrum of orange, yellow red and purple to the canopies of leaves protecting the lunch tables, and unit areas.
Our beautiful butterfly garden is shedding its pods and reseeding itself for summer. Looking closely this week, I noticed a caterpillar. I had never seen anything like this caterpillar before!
The closer I looked at the parsley the more caterpillars I saw. There were at last 50 of them! What a beautiful sight! The caterpillars were coming home to spin their cocoons and become beautiful butterflies.
The caterpillars’ journey reminded me of every camper and staff member who comes to spend their summer at Apachi. They arrive excited to see old friends, and “hungry” for their summer activities, full of energy. As the summer progresses, campers learn new skills, meet new friends, master swimming and more. There are also moments for campers to just stop and observe the excitement of what’s happening around them. Camp counselors and camp staff see the growth and great progress in physical strength, confidence and emotional growth each child has gained. Campers’ cocoons may not be visible to people outside of camp, but we see it and support them every single day.
The eight weeks of summer go so quickly that it can seem like just a week. At the end, Parent Shows are happening and campers have come out of their cocoons as beautiful butterflies, transformed by their experiences at camp. I know it sounds silly to think of our campers as caterpillars, but the transformation and impact Apachi has each and every summer on campers and staff member is as amazing as a caterpillar turning into a butterfly!!!
As this week of introspection comes to an end, may all of your life’s journeys be as transforming as that of the caterpillar to butterfly. I wish all Apachi J Camp families G’mar Chatimah Tovah. May you be inscribed in the book of life for 5778 for good health, much happiness and prosperity.