Special Week

I get blogging opportunities far less here at camp than at home. Last week was special week, people with special needs, all with mental disabilities. Here is an excerpt from my journal:

"How do I record so many new experiences? Lana is an adult with Down's Syndrome. She is so quiet and full of sweetness. It's as if she knows all the secrets of the Kingdom, all the secrets of happiness.

"She speaks softly. She lets the leaves on the bough above her dance. And dance. And in her heart, I think she is dancing, too; because her smile is wonder to me. Her hugs draw me close and she plants a kiss on my cheek. She is trusting me with all she has.

"Linda mutters during naptime. She has multiple personalities and maybe Down's Syndrome. She knows how to o everything regarding her own hygiene and she keeps track of others' whereabouts. She can understand various, more complex subjects. Her conversation tells me this. Yet--where is her peace? Oh Lord, she does not have the same apparent simplicity as Lana. So where does she rest?"