I had the privilege of taking my family to visit Camp Simcha last month and wanted to reflect on our experience. As we approach the Jewish New Year, it provides for an opportunity to look back and truly consider and evaluate all aspects of one’s life and how we have traversed the landscape this past year.
Camp Simcha is a remarkable place, as there truly are no limits and no boundaries to what is possible regardless of one’s ability. My family was able to see first-hand how a camper who is wheelchair bound was able to zip line and fly through the air because the incredible counselors at Camp Simcha embody this notion of no boundaries. It took 10 counselors to safely secure and lift this young man into the air and ensure he had an unforgettable experience and it was worth, as he was smiling and happy in the most pure and truest sense of the word. What is incredible is that this occurs all the time at Camp Simcha, as the entire raison d’etre of Camp Simcha is to provide a magical camp experience for children diagnosed with a myriad of illnesses. This is only possible, due to the incredible facilities at camp and the dedicated, volunteers, Chai Lifeline staff and medical team that utilize their expertise and altruism in an effort to making miracles happen. It is an inspiring and humbling place that symbolizes and embodies true happiness.
As cliche as we sometimes refer to the concept of happiness, at the end of the day, this is what we all should be striving for. Regardless of what your happiness looks like, strive for it, embody it, and create it for yourself. Life is challenging at times, yet is is also incredibly rewarding and if we can put things into perspective and truly reflect on what matters most to each of us individually, we can work towards our own embodiment of happiness and share it with the world.
Let Camp Simcha, and the children of Chai Lifeline Canada, be a guiding light and may we all have a Shana Tova!!
“A hundred years from now it will not matter what my bank account was, the sort of house I lived in, or the kind of car I drove… but the world may be different because I was important in the life of a child.”
-Forest Witcraft
