Wednesday, January 13, 2010

A Bears Story, A Lesson In Life

By Lonnie Lorenz

Sara Button has recently written a story, Black Bear, Loon & Walleye: A Fable from the Northwoods. As Directors of Swift Nature Camp an Environmental Summer Camp in the Northwoods of Wisconsin, this story holds a special place in our hearts. It is such a good story we put a copy in our camp library for all our staff to share with their children.

the story tels of three friends--Black Bear, Loon & Walleye, one furry, one feathered, one sporting fish scales--and each wishes for the gifts of another. As you can imagine ech wish for the others coat. Black Bear longs for shiny scales to look flashy and impress his friends; Loon wants to sport and enviable fur coat; and Walleye wants to fly. But when their wishes mysteriously come true, each realizes a disadvantage: Bear's scales can't keep him warm, Loon can't fly with fur weighing her down, and Walleye has bad eyesight and is no good at flying even with feathers.

Black Bear, Loon and Walleye take a wild adventure that teaches them lessons that are timeless universal truths. The friends learned a valuable lesson that day, to appreciate each others gifts, but most of all to value their own. Trying new things is important, because you might find something that you really enjoy. But if it doesn't work out, you still get to know yourself better. So each characters learned that they each have special gifts and that they need to always appreciate the other's gifts, while valuing their own.

Tying new things, is the reminder of the this story as well as the importance of runderstanding our own nature, and having faith that we are all perfectly designed to fulfill our own unique purposes in life. This is a lesson that young and old alike need to be reminded of.

At Summer Camp the opportunity arises daily to promote each child's personal development by providing fun, friendship and leadership in a supportive and noncompetitive environment away from home. Camp provides children an opportunity to act on their own, be self-reliant and try things for themselves. Camp provides few long lasting consequences, so children know that if it doesn't work out they can start over much like the stars of our book.

Ech night as our camp counselors read stories to the children a familiar call is heard in the background. As the loon calls it brings this story to life and makes it a special evening. If coming to the Northwoods is not as easy for you use the CD that comes with the book has loon sounds along with a guitar and the story read aloud.

Thinking of a sending your child of to camp? Try Summer Camp Advice a Free reference for parents looking for the Best Children's Summer Camps.

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