Thank You, Miss Emma

It's been a little over two months since I've stepped foot on Kanuga property. Two months filled with stress, learning, laughter, smiles, tears, running, jumping, swimming, reading, singing, tie-dying, coloring, imagination, boo-boos, friends, frustrations, and a little bit of blood. I've experienced so much that has helped me grow as a person and a leader. I've come into contact with some kids who I absolutely adored and others who I anxiously awaited their departure from the Children's Program. Going into training, we were told that we would have kids that fell into those two categories, yet the ones who would teach us the biggest lessons would be the difficult ones; the ones who we couldn't wait to get rid of at the end of each day. This past week, I had quite a few of these kids; specifically, there was a group of 4 or 5 little boys that were all 4 and 5 who knew exactly how to grind on mine and each others nerves. During those 5 days, the Lord taught me more about patience and understanding than I could have imagined possible. I learned how to deal with difficult children, and I gained a huge respect for their parents, who gave me the same "I'm so sorry that he _________ today" speech after every program. After all the stress of the week, one of the little boys who gave me the toughest time looked at me and very secretly whispered the best 7 words I've heard all summer: "I had fun, Miss Emma. Thank you" Those are the kids that make my experience here the learning experience that it's become. Those are the kids that teach me about being a good care-giver. Those are the kids that teach me patience and perseverance. Those are the kids who make me thankful for my parents and their patience with me as I grew up. But those words? The words "Thank You" are the words that make me the most thankful that God has given me such an amazing opportunity to affect these kids' lives in the best way possible. They're the words that make me get up and go to work each morning. They're the words that make me want to stay a little longer.

I had a grandma come up to me at the close of the week and tell me some of the best news I've heard all summer. She is a big donor of Kanuga and somehow, I know she sensed that I was having a stressful day...and she was right. I had two counselors who were not doing what they were supposed to be doing on top of being a counselor short, I had kids running around not listening to their counselors, and I had popsicles and empty water cups in my hands. She quietly asked me to speak to her in private for a second. Ms. Wilson proudly told me that she has been bringing her children and grandchildren to the Baker Building for 34 years and that this year has been the best it's ever been--the counselors have been welcoming, and the directors have been organized and so inviting to every kid. (You'd be surprised at how hard it is to memorize 30 names in 3 hours) Ms. Wilson not only gave me this flattering news, but said that she also told the exact same thing to the President of Kanuga in hopes that he would notice our hard work. Right as she began to leave, Ms. Wilson handed me some folded dollar bills and politely asked me to divide them evenly among me and my counselors.
Isn't it amazing how the Lord works? He took my crappy day and attitude and quickly showed me that things aren't as bad as they always seem. Sometimes, it's just up to us to take a step back, take a breath, and just be a kid. It's okay to ignore the popsicle trash for 20 minutes in order to read a story to a group of quiet little girls and it's okay to have a little chaos in order to hear those two words that keep me going..."Thank you." I realize that I don't say those words as much as I should--not only to my co-workers, parents, and friends, but to the person who I have the most to thank--my Father. This whole experience has taught me the importance of thanks and I have a lot to be thankful for.