To the Young, To the living (VBYC)

Anxiety stopped me from going and doing a lot of things growing up.  One of those things was going to camp.  Every summer growing up I would want to go with my friends to camp but every summer I would get too nervous.  I would sit at home sad for a week every summer waiting for them to come home.  At age 17 I finally lived out a tiny little dream of mine.

This past week I was at Van Buren Youth Camp in Michigan.  I was originally supposed to go there for two hours for three days to speak about my blog to all of the campers.  I ended up staying the whole week.  I never thought I would ever be able to spend a week at camp with only one person I knew.  I did it.  And while I was doing it I made best friends, lived each moment, and found beauty.  This camp was more than I could have asked for.  So here is what I came out of it with:

There are people in this world who are loving, even when you do not believe so.

Change is necessary and beautiful.

You can be the person to inspire and help others if you choose to love.

Family is not always blood related.

Home is when you are with the ones you love, not the physical place.

You need to be open in order to find true happiness.

Everyone has struggles in life, no one is ever alone.

Friends are not always those who have known you the longest, but the ones you want to know the rest of your life.

You never know what to expect in life, so live each moment.

You do not need to be on your phone every second of your life, get off.

Do everything you can in life, because one day you may regret not living the fullest.

Bodies are beautiful, stop thinking you are not.

Believe in yourself and forgive yourself.

Fears are just irrational, you can do anything.

Lastly, do not worry.  Do not hate.  Do not lose your purpose.  Everyone has a reason to live, even if you feel you don’t.  The world loves you.  I love you, even if I do not know you.

But always remember to wear sunscreen.

xoxo

Sky