Bring Him Home...

In a few hours I will be getting my oldest up for his first Scout Camp adventure. He's excited to go I think, although perhaps a little apprehensive. He's commented several times about this being the longest time away from home and family. I am excited for him to go have a great time, work on merit badges, learn stuff, and develop closer ties with the boys and leaders in his quorum/troop, but I am also apprehensive about him being gone so long and so far away from me. He is a good boy, but he is also impetuous (what twelve-year-old isn't?). I keep thinking about a couple of Boy Scouts who got lost on camp-outs not too long ago. One was found safely. Another has never been recovered. So of course, which story do you think I keep going back to? Part of me wants to scare the daylights out of him about staying where he is supposed to and not go wandering off or do something stupid. The more common sense part of me reminds the rest of my heart and brain that he is also an intelligent boy and scaring him will do nothing to help him have a great experience. So, before he leaves with his group at 5 a.m. (!), I will remind him to use his common sense, not worry about having to prove anything to anyone, and just do his best to come home in one piece. Dirty and scratched up a bit is fine. Alive is best. After that, I will be openly and silently praying for his safe return all week. I'm going to miss him. Okay ... I'm going for my Kleenex.