The Wilderness

 

Wilderness of nature and that of us all!

A unique experience I got to experience and be a part of - Summer camp 2026 for kids of 10-12 years.

It's hard for me to believe that I was trusted with craft and creativity sessions and journaling and that I could do it so well. Without any prior experience..may be life had prepared me along the way.

There was a lot of management required, understanding various emotions of the kids... balancing our own energies to match and to continue the momentum for these three days!

The experience of being just another kid among the group yet a responsible one on the team...

I recall a moment when a kid came upto me and said - Mam, you are ~36 yrs (incorrect) so you are almost like my Mom's age and the other one said, my dad is even younger 😄. I wanted to have fun and tease them but the moment had me when I realized that folks ~my age are parents whereas I haven't yet quite done parenting myself 😄🙈.

A group of seventeen kids, origami sessions all the scolding and holding smiles and the plane flying event where they all are instructed to sing a song and they all start in Chorus - Let it go, let Go, let it Goooooo

A part of me was healing... I was telling them to let go fear (from the thunderstorms a night before)...

The memory of when a tall boy (being always cornered for being mischievous) came seeking help

and gently he says mam I am not the one always...etc. 

His innocence and trust in me healed me a bit, and my heart trusted him, the desire in him to be a good being...🙏

During the block printing event, he even messed up the cotton cloth and came humbly to see if he can fix it, and I assured we can do something about it:)

And when his tent-mate made a poop on his journal, I said let's turn the journal upside down and mark it as cashew fruit hanging 😜😄😄🙈🤷‍♀️

I don't know how I was so empowered to be what I was, something in me got overwhelmed at last and had bouts of tears...

The pics shared here are the onces I took during that solo retreat, barefoot walk and when I sat with my feets dipped in the backwater and eyes intact with the setting sun....

I couldn't pin what was making me feel so hurtful (after an incident with another volunteer's behaviour) but something was there which was deeply nudged and was surfacing and was being let out as tears and sobb.

Overall a beautiful and soulful time spent with wonderful kids and my heart is full 💞🙏

Thank you, SIF for trusting me and for allowing me to be part of this, for me being a small pillar in your dream project. For holding space for me when I break every ounce of protocal on love, kindness, respect and madness. Thank you for holding me when I am broken and raw, for assuring me I deserve respect and care 🙏