Band Camp Is Over..."WHEW"

What a week...what a crew of exceptional and devoted kids...what a way to turn fifty.

The heat has been brutal...even more brutal than their guard coach, Teddy...and that tells you just how hot it has been.

If it hadn't been for "Nurse Becky" (photo above to the left when she was just about to collapse at the end of a very long last day)...I truly don't think the kids would have survived. She has wrapped ankles and knees, given out medicine and handed out inhalers...charting it all in a meticulously kept log book and kept this group going. It was a hard non paying job that she did EVERY day for two weeks without one complaint or gripe.

She is an amazing woman, an amazing mother and now one of my dearest friends.

These kids worked ten hours a day for two weeks straight, in heat that even made ME sweat and if you read my blog you know how I love to be outdoors. Her own daughter collapsed tonight around 6PM. It was scary and when her girl fell onto the steaming asphalt I felt my own heart drop. Luckily "Nurse Becky" was right there and took charge.

The heat was intense today...no cloud cover, no breeze no rain. There were complaints and gripes but the kids kept going. I think I am down to 85 pounds (just kidding) but it was even tough for me and I was just refilling water bottles and picking up trash.

The dedication of these kids is amazing...the dedication of the parent volunteers is incredible and the fact that we all made it is a feat in itself.

It was good for me to have a distraction from my own worries and it was good to feel like I was a part of something else other than my own problems.

"Nurse Becky" should have been given a crown tonight for just keeping all the kids alive. She was there EVERY day from 9 in the morning til after 9 at night...two weeks of care and love that these kids wouldn't have made it through without her.

I'm an outsider...just helping when I can. She is a trooper..there every day and caring for these 140 plus teens as if they were all her own.

I love this "Guard World" and love all the people I have met while watching this group persevere and make tremendous progress.

It was the hottest day we had...it was the longest day we had. They all made it and at the end of the camp all the kids were smiling and laughing. It's a great thing to see determination and commitment from teens and that even when beaten down , sunburned and tired..they still shout out to each other "I love you" and "Great job."

Haven't had a day off in over a week...but what a great way to spend your day off...surrounded by love and devotion. Talk about inspiration...these kids give it to me every time I am with them and I feel lucky to be a part of their world.