Finding your kind

This summer my wife and I, along with some of our children, went to “family camp,” which is a week long time at the camp where my wife once served as a counselor and her daughter now attends. It is a relaxed week of semi-rustic living, full of activities and songs. Although the experience is relatively new to me, I learned something important this summer: this is where my wife spends time with “her kind.”

I have long known that camp is where my wife is happiest, but I now know that the roots go deeper than mere happiness. When we began each morning with loud music and people on benches clapping and using the word “awesome” three times before cereal, I realize why she says “good morning” seven times each morning at home . . . she's looking for a camp-like enthusiastic beginning to her day. As we held hands and said a simple prayer with new-found friends, I realized why she loves a full dining room table at our house. As people were lifted up and their accomplishments celebrated at each meal, I understood why my wife is such a cheerleader throughout the year.

It was wonderful to see my wife in her element, surrounded by people who share her love and enthusiasm for camp life, but it was also a reminder that we all need to find “our kind.” For some, they can be found at work or at church. For others they are found on a soccer field or tennis court. Still others find their kind in an early morning AA meeting or similar support group.

Regardless of where we find our kind, the important thing is that we find them. You will know you've found them if you are relaxed and more yourself (true self) than usual, you are willing to just be and not worry about what you are wearing (see photo), and you leave their presence with more air in your spiritual tires than when you arrived.

Do you know where to find “your kind”? If so, have you been with them recently?