called to be Uncommon

     Precious Maryn is in 6th grade.  This year her teachers organized a class-wide event that has not been done by our school before. It happened this past thursday and friday.   It involved a cook-out/sleep-over in tents/breakfast around campfire and then day of learning at a local park called Oak Grove.  The park is run by the county conservation board and has a river, camping spots, trails for hiking, a nature center and more.  I grew up going to Oak Grove park.  I've hiked the trails and enjoyed picnics and taken time alone for personal retreat there.....I love this place. When it came time to volunteer I missed all the sign-ups to chaperone, to provide supplies, to take a spot on night patrol, walking around the campsite for 2 hours to ensure safety.  I'm not good with spreadsheets....I usually miss the sign ups.  I did arrange to borrow a tent from the neighbors and agreed to come anyway and sleep out.  I told Precious I didn't need to come but she said she wanted me to....she is 12 and mostly doesn't want her mom to be around so this was a rare gift I was not going to miss.  

    I have not tented for over 20 years.  I did not arrive prepared.  55 degrees at night in September is so much colder than I expected.  Precious ended up in the bigger tent with her friend on the nice airmattress...and I was close by in a smaller tent alone with a much flatter air mattress....which was fine.  I did not expect to be comfortable....but I have had mid-life hot flashes for years so I also did not expect to be cold......so.....cold.  And then once the giggles and screams and calling across the tents subsided.....the night sounds began.  I was close to the water and could hear random splashes.....significant splashes that made me wonder at what was going into and out of the water.  A strange and eerie noise began around 12:15am which I later learned was coyote pups calling to eachother....and owls that hooted above me....and many other sounds that essentially kept me captivated all night long.  I didn't sleep much.  

    I woke up with the sun and the stirring of campers all around me and felt grateful that I had slept enough to wake up....and that I had made it through the night.  Even if I am 53 yars old and not a seasoned camper, I can show up and I can get it done if my child says she wants me there.  I helped pack up the tents for the 57 kids plus chaperones and teachers, and loaded up my car to head home and take a hot shower, and a nap.  

    When Precious came home we asked her what was something that stood out to her from the experience.  She really liked mountain biking down the trails....and had fun canoing....but mostly she couldn't believe how much she thought about homeless people.  Homeless people are cold all the time at night and sleep outside and don't have a warm bed in a warm house.  She was overwhelmed by the shared experience of being cold in a tent at night and having nowhere to go to get warm.  She talked about it several different times and it has made a big impression on her.  

    I asked her if she would like to take this new knowledge farther and do something.  We could organize a donation event of blankets and socks, etc. and bring them to the drop sites of places that homeless people go to get help to stay warm in winter....she wants to do this.  I asked her if she wanted me to just do it or if she wanted to talk to her teachers first.  She wants to talk to her teachers first.....but I figured it would be fine to open a door and give a little hint at things to come..... 

    The theme for the 6th graders this year at Sioux Center Christian School is to be Uncommon.  After we talked about doing this she said, "mom...also....that would be really uncommon if we could do that for homeless people"   yes, sweet daughter.  yes it would.