When I was growing up, I worried about Ruth much of the time. Because she had practically no kidney function, she suffered frequent health crises and had to be rushed to the hospital.  I never shared my concerns with family and friends.

The only time those worry clouds lifted was at Eagle Island, a rustic Girl Scout camp in the middle of Saranac Lake in upper New York State.  For six summers, from ages 11 through 16, I boarded a charter bus with other girls from Essex County, N.J., and endured the eight-hour ride  to get there.

At Eagle Island, my sister’s illness took a back seat.  As soon as  I got off the bus and took the 20-minute boat ride to the island, I came under it’s spell.  My first five summers I was there for a month.  My last summer, when I was a Mariner and then a C.I.T., I stayed for the entire summer. Continue reading The Magic of Summer Camp →