The Spaces In Between

“Every day, think as you wake up, today I am fortunate to have woken up. I am alive. I have a precious human life, and I am not going to waste it!”

One of my favorite things about summer camp is singing in community. There are a lot of silly camp songs, like “The Princess Pat,” “It’s a 60s Party,” “5 Short-Necked Buzzards” and “Baby Shark” (which may be a recent viral phenomenon but has been a camp favorite for DECADES), and there are also camp songs that are unique to each camp. 

Camp Aranu’tiq’s song (which they also sing at Camp Seneb and Camp Reflections) is a beautiful reminder that we are not alone, “this harbor is safe, this harbor is warm, this harbor is where I can weather a storm. This harbor begins and ends with you and me, and there’s no place I’d rather be.” (Listen here).

Brave Trails also has a song that closes the evening activity, and sends campers off to their cabins feeling warm, loved, and resilient. “If you want to be yourself be brave, give your heart, give your hand, be a leader in this land, be brave.” (I can’t find a video of their song, but you can find lots of videos and images of camp on their Instagram).

The Spirit Pride Project, a Texas based camp which I attended in May 2019, has a song based on a saying by the Dalai Lama. It is achingly beautiful, and reminds us that every day is a blessing. ” “Every day, think as you wake up, today I am fortunate to have woken up. I am alive. I have a precious human life, and I am not going to waste it!” I have included a video below of the song (not sung by Spirit Pride Project folks), so that you can hear its simple elegance yourself.

The Spirit Pride Project is a weekend retreat for LGBTQ youth and young adults (and a few parents who joined in too) held in Texas. It was founded ten years ago, and provides a space for LGBTQ youth to explore their identity and faith/spirituality.

I met one of the founders of the Project, KJ, through a queer camp network, and she invited me to come down this past May. I was thrilled at the opportunity to experience another LGBTQ camp, and said of course I would come! The weekend was a relaxed mix of workshops (self-care, self-defense, making art journals, faith and politics discussions), chill time, and community activities like sports, a pool party, s’mores, and the Ropes Course. It was exactly what I needed at the end of a hectic semester at Amherst College.

On Saturday night the attendees/campers walked the Labyrinth, under the light of the full-moon and flashlights held by the counselors who stood in a circle around the Labyrinth. It was an incredibly moving part of the retreat, as we stood in silent meditation under the stars, and then joined in a circle to sing “A Precious Human Life.” It is a night I often think back on when I am feeling lonely and overwhelmed by life, and I have frequently sung the song to myself since I have been back on the East Coast.

The world can be a harsh place for queer and trans folks and these camps, and their songs, provide a space for us to nurture each other, build resilience, and celebrate our fabulousness. They remind us that we have communities where we can feel safe, that we have the strength within ourselves to be brave, and that we are each precious, human individuals who belong here on this earth.