Shoes in the dishwasher...

    I walked in my house today after closing up another week of camp I was greeted by 5 baskets of laundry from my staff. These boys line up their laundry like ants on my floor waiting patiently for the washer and dryer to become available. I smiled, stepped over them and made my way through the house. Strangely as it may seem, I rather enjoy the look of laundry baskets lining my floor. It means that camp is still here and the staff is still around. I made my way to the shower then the couch and my phone started sounding off. A text that simly read, "naps".  It didnt have a question mark after it but I knew the tone. "Sure", went my reply. 7 minutes later, 3 of my favorite boys in the whole world walked through my door. Suddenly, my living room was full. Just how I like it. We started talking about life and mulling over the wonder that is the female gender when my door opened again and another young man entered our conversation. After adding his laundry basket to the line that was now overflowing into my kitchen, he asked me how to wash shoes and a hat. I told him the dishwasher would be his best option. So, i got up and loaded my dishwasher with 4 pairs of shoes and 1 ball cap.
     As I started the dishwasher cycle washing tennis shoes, I couldn't help but smile. What a fun, full, great life I live.
     I sat back down on the couch and started watching the series that the boys had put in my DVD player. As I began looking at what my Saturday had turned in to, listening to the sound of the washer and dryer working overtime, the veiw of the boys all over my furniture and my floor and the shoes in the dishwasher, I was overcome with a wave a gratitude. These boys enrich my life in a way they will never know and I am extremely aware that these moments are precious because they are fleeting.
     I feel so accomplished and spent at the end of every camp session but with every closing ceremony that we go through, we are one ceremony closer to the end. Soon, I will walk through the door of my house and the laundry room will be quiet and empty and my dishwasher will be loaded with simple dishes. I refuse, however, to dwell on that thought. I choose to embrace the moment. And in this moment, I learned the meaning of the word "gal pal", I also learned that I may be one, I learned that boys can sleep anywhere, on anything, at any time but most importantly, I learned that I love shoes in my dishwasher...