Ghosts of Dauphin Island

I recently chaperoned Sara's fifth grade field trip to Dauphin Island. The trip included four hours on a bus (each way), two nights on a "bed" that was not my own, and six cafeteria meals (which turned out to be pretty good). Despite the fact that I dreaded all these things, I was pleasantly surprised with the trip overall. The best part was being away with just Sara. When you have three children, it is such a luxury to be able to focus on just one of them. It was good for both of us! With work and my other responsibilities, I haven't been able to be that mom who helps in the classroom or regularly has lunch with her child. This trip was a chance for me to show Sara how important she is to me. I hope that I succeeded! Thanks to Steve who took three days off from work so that I was able to go on this trip! The trip itself was fascinating. Staying at the Sea Lab meant we were within walking distance to the Estuarium, Fort Gaines, and the beach. The sea lab has awesome instructors. We learned so much about Dauphin Island and it's habitats. This trip was all about science but if it's history you're interested in, Dauphin Island has plenty! A night time beach walk complete with ghost stories and a visit to Fort Gaines were just a few of the activities that brought history to life. It is rumored that visitors to Fort Gaines often have problems with their cameras or other equipment due to fun loving pranksters (who just happen to be ghosts.) It is also rumored that some of these spirited pranksters follow visitors back to their lodging to continue the fun. Some of the chaperones, including myself, began to wonder if these stories had validity when the pay phones in our dormitory began ringing at 11:00 at night. Doesn't sound too strange, right? But add in the fact that the phones had been taken off the hook earlier b/c they rang at 11:00 the night before. One of our chaperones had gotten out of bed, on that first night, to answer them only to find nobody on the other end of the line. After two trips to the phones, the weary chaperone took the phones of the hook. Fast forward to the next night when we decided to take them off the hook at 10:30 before climbing into bed. Thirty minutes later, we found ourselves in the hall watching the phones ring while the receivers dangled toward the floor. While discussing the possible causes for what we were seeing, we began to hear thumping noises. We never found the source, but we did learn that two of the chaperones heard those same sounds around 11:00 the night before. One chaperone even went outside to see if it was someone from the boys cabin knocking on the door in search of the nurse. We were a little freaked to say the least. Luckily the 50 or so girls we were chaperoning slept through our little adventure. The adults however had fun giggling and scaring each other. It took us back to our childhoods, and gave us a break from being the responsible, logical moms that we are. Looking back, I am happy that our "ghost" came to visit. Laughing and having fun is good for the soul. However, in retrospect I know that the real ghosts of this trip aren't from Fort Gaines. They are the ghosts of childhood. We watched as little girls seemingly matured overnight. Some of them had never even spent one night away from home and here they were hours from their parents managing their daily routines with only a little help from us. There were some tears at first but by the end of the trip these girls were confident that they could actually manage for a few days "on their own." Even though Sara thought she couldn't manage without me, I suspected that she could have and just two short months later she proved me right. You see, Sara just got back from a three night trip to the beach with a friend. Last year she took the same trip during Spring Break. Same friend, same amount of time,etc. The only difference was that last year she cried at night and was anxious to get home. This year she didn't cry. On the last night, she even told her friend's mom that she didn't want to come home yet. While I am so proud of this step toward independence, part of me is sad. It reminds me that all too soon she will be a grown woman and all I'll have left of her childhood are the sweet memories. The ghosts of childhood are likely the ghosts that I will be hoping to see in the near future. We can't hold on to our children forever but hopefully through memories, photographs, and even blogs, we can continue to hold them in our hearts. I am reminded of a poem that I heard for the first time years ago. I wish I could apply the wisdom to my life but it seems that when life gets hectic I forget what is really important. Maybe posting it here will help me remember!

"If I Had My Child To Raise Over Again" by Diane Loomas
If I had my child to raise over again,
I'd finger paint more, and point fingers less.
I'd do less correcting and more connecting.
I'd take my eyes off my watch, and watch with my eyes.
I would care to know less, and know to care more.
I'd take hikes and fly more kites.
I'd stop playing serious, and seriously play.
I'd run through more fields, and gaze at more stars.
I'd do more hugging and less tugging.
I'd be firm less often, and affirm much more.
I'd build self-esteem first, and the house later.
I'd teach less about the love of power,
and more about the power of love!