I know it's an old-fashioned word, and probably not one that a lot of you use in the 21st century, but it's the best word I can come up with for what I'm about to describe. When I think a kinship, I think of a bond that can't be the broken no matter what happens because all of the individuals who are a part of this kinship usually share a common characteristic or struggle, and can relate to one another on a level that no one else can, or wants to.
This year at camp, year number 12, a lot of amazing things happened! I met and connected with some remarkable people to say the least! There was one person in particular though who by the time I was done talking to her on the first night we met, literally took my breath away and brought me to very close to tears all in one shot! Those of you who know me at all know that this is a very challenging thing to do, but she managed to do it.
Her name is Hannah, 
she's 19, (I think) is going to Elmhurst College in Chicago for a degree in communications, and has CP. Her particular case of CP has affected her speech to the point where she uses a communication device to communicate everything except yes, no, and a few other simple things. The first day we met somehow I got started talking about the fact that I really didn't wanna walk, and that if I had a magic pill that could give me those abilities, I would give it to somebody who really wanted it, because I don't. Then I asked her if she had the magic pill if she would want her natural words, and she said "no". When I pressed further, and asked why, her response, and her conviction with which she said it almost brought me to tears right there on the spot, "because it teaches people patients!"
Oh my goodness, talk about melting my heart! As I'm sitting here writing this, I'm still astounded; to not want your words because you can teach the rest of the world patients is pretty remarkable if you ask me! When I told my mom this, she said, "but you know what? You don't really have any interest in walking, and she doesn't really have any interest in talking. I find that kind of interesting." As we were sitting there that night I told her that I didn't think I could ever live without my natural words. You could take everything else away from me, including my ability to understand the world around me, and that would be okay as long as you didn't take my natural words away from me!
Saturday night, the night before I was scheduled to leave we had the banquet, which is tradition, and has been for as long as I've been going. It's just one last get-together before those of us who have to take the bus back to Courage Center actually have to leave. It consists of dinner, and activities afterward. After being at the activities afterward for about 15 minutes, I leaned over and said to one of my counselors that I thought it would be amazing if Hannah went up to the front and spoke. After doing some investigating for me, she discovered that she was in the health center with a headache. She also told me that Hannah had even had an entire speech prepared for the occasion. When I heard this, I was a bit disappointed, but I knew there was a way I could remedy the situation. I was determined to hear that speech before I left.
So the next morning I ate breakfast quicker than I probably ever have, and rushed outside to where she usually sat. I told her that Janna (the counselor) and I had heard that she had a speech that she was going to give the previous night, but she wasn't feeling well. She said yes. I asked her if she still had it, and to this she also said yes. Then I asked the question that had been burning in my tummy since the night before when I found out she had it prepared, "can Janna and I hear it?" She told me that she was going to give it at closing campfire later that evening which I wasn't going to be around for. When I told her, she was happy to let me hear it early, but she said we should do it in private so that no one else heard it before closing campfire.
The entire thing was about kinship, and where it begins. Does it begin when a counselor can anticipate your every need without you ever having to say a word? Does it begin when you ask another counselor to call the Irish guy over and from that point forward you can't imagine your life without him? Does it begin when you connect with somebody so much it's scary? Does it begin when your roommate becomes your best friend? These were all questions she posed in her speech. As she also said, it's not about the activities we're doing, but rather the people we're doing them with!
So where does it begin? I don't think any of us really know the answer to that question, but what we do know is that it does exist, and it's something that we can't get anywhere else, or explain to anyone else! The only thing I can definitively say is that my life will never be the same now that she's in it! Hannah: as I told you the other day, I feel blessed beyond words that you're part of my life, and I hope it remains that way for the rest of our lives! 