pressing on

September 15, 2001

September 11, 2001 horrified us all. I watched the news almost round the clock and the images seared my mind and spirit. The following weekend, I had planned to take my Girl Scout troop camping to a camp in Bellefontaine, Ohio. For three days my co-leaders and I debated whether or not to go. I wondered about the girls. I wondered if the girls' parents would feel uneasy sending their girls with us. I even wondered if we were safe and where we'd go if another attack happened. But by Thursday we all agreed to carry through and go camping.

I was on edge much of the weekend. My mind kept going back to the events a few days before. But I was the leader charged with safely guiding a group of 11-year-olds through a weekend of fun activities. We slept in tree houses. (I froze, as usual.) We cooked foil hamburger packets and s'mores over the campfire. The girls giggled late into the night. We hiked the camp on that beautiful September Saturday. And I shot this photo of them rolling down a hill, having fun as kids do.

I won't forget the horror of September 11, but that weekend my girls reminded me that children always give us a reason to press on.

the girls "adopted" a dog that weekend