“Camp Is Great. Sorry I Do Not Write You”

My impression is that most of us parents with children at sleepaway camp have low expectations for the quality (and frequency) of their camp letters. And that’s sort of okay, right? Because it means that our children would rather be doing other things, which in turn means they’re having a good time at camp. But here’s another upside: When they dash off their missives, they often cut right to the core of their feelings and often—sometimes consciously, sometimes not—they are very funny. See the note picture here, which a friend shared with me.

This is her 11-year-old daughter’s first year at sleepaway camp, a camp that the mom admires for its nurturing spirit and a dedicated emphasis on not only fun times, but also on community and character. Sounds like her daughter is fitting right in. Can you read the scribble? I’m an expert. It says: “Dad, My new friend Maya told me that you’re not an Evergreen girl until you pee in the lake . . . so I did.”

Eric Messinger is the editor of  New York Family. He can be reached at [email protected]