These are pictures from our amazing canoe trip. We spent three days in the
Adirondacks. It was completely breathtaking. I had the most amazing time with these boys.
Canoeing to campsite---3 hours
Number of campers--18
Numbers of counselors--20
Number of days in God's country---3
Hanging out with the most amazing kids in the world.....priceless
au·tism –noun
1. Psychiatry. a pervasive developmental disorder of children, characterized by impaired communication, excessive rigidity, and emotional detachment.
2. a tendency to view life in terms of one's own needs and desires
By the dictionary standards this is what autism is and what it looks like. A child who doesn't talk or does not hug or love, but to me this is what autism looks like. A singalong to a Disney song, because they know all the words. It is a high five or a screech of excitement, because they have made their bed or caught a ball. It is seeing you in a crowd and running up to you and nearly knocking you over because that is how they show you love. It is grabbing your hand and holding on for dear life, because that is their way of saying I love you and I am glad you are here. Words are becoming superficial. Expressions and hand movements are becoming key. A moment in which I have realized that just because I can talk does not necessarily mean I am saying anything. Just because I can say I love you when it is the right time does not mean as much as that hug at the end of the day or that high five when something is accomplished. The dictionary defines what autism is, but these kids are breaking those definitions and they are talking and they are loving. Are we listening? Are we ready for everything they know? We have so much to learn and all we have to do is watch and enjoy the small things that deserve big applause.
these are just a few pictures of my camp experience thus far. some of them are sideways and i really don't know what is going on with that, but i figured my life is out of control why can't my pictures be as well. love to all. maggie
Where I am living for the next 6 weeks....yes, it is indeed a tent. 
A teambuilding exercise on the sunshine towers followed by a 30 foot jump. The bravest thing I have ever done in my life. 
Woodstock. One of the coolest places I have been. Peace and love were flowing everywhere.
One of the most beautiful sunsets I have ever seen. This was on the last night we had with our first session kids. We were all sitting outside talking about our last two weeks and we had the most amazing background. 
Hey everyone. Things are well up in Rhinebeck. The first session has already ended and we are on a day intercession. A much needed intercession. This is one of the most trying experiences of my life. 18 hour days followed by little sleep just to get up and do it everyday, however it is absolutely worth it when you see the kids. Most of our kids are non verbal and that proves to be really heart wrenching and emotionally trying, because you want them to talk to you so bad. It is amazing though how they communicate to you and how they let you know how they feel. Never in my life have I felt that this is where I belong. My life and my meaning in life has taken a whole new turn.
I hope everything is going well wherever you are. I can't wait to hear from everyone.
Love,
Maggie
Hey guys!!! So, I have made it to NY. It is absolutely beautiful up here and wonderful weather. I can't wait for the kids. Training is going great. Everyone is awesome and best of all I live in a TENT!!! The reception for cell phones is really bad, but we have the internet. So I will try and post pictures and keep people updated.
Love to Texas,
Maggie
Amongst all the things in our world that are wrong.....a graffiti artist in NY said it best....
Let's all try to find the beauty
"Life is not about finding yourself, Life is about creating yourself"
Many years ago I ran across this quote at a gift shop in New York called Grandslam. It was on a card and I bought it along with two others and had in framed. To this day it hangs in my room and gives me a little bit of inspiration as I leave for the day or maybe frustrates me a little when I feel like life is creating me and I am not creating myself. A few months ago I think God had me in the right place at the right time. I was taking some of my teenage boys* to a youth program called PALS and a really cool lady told me about Ramapo for Children. http://www.ramapoforchildren.org/ Basically, Ramapo for Children is a nationally recognized, not-for-profit organization serving children with special needs. Ramapo’s mission is to serve children with a wide range of emotional, behavioral and learning disabilities in a dynamic and stimulating outdoor environment, providing educational and recreational experiences that promote social, emotional, physical and intellectual growth. What a plug I just gave them! Kudos for me. ha ha. Anyways, I decided to apply after a little thought, probably not enough! Sometimes you have to live in the moment or the moment passes you by and never do what you should have been doing. That is how it is with me anyways. After two weeks they called and set up a phone interview. Now, you should all know that during this time no one knows I have applied, because I had to figure out some things before people could know. The interview lasted about thirty minutes and the guy told me to think about it and call back on Tuesday to check in. The last question he asked me really struck home with me. He said, "Maggie, I am going into a meeting on Friday with the hiring committee and we are going to start placing people we think belong here. Tell me why I should tell them to hire you?" Without any hesitation in my voice I said, "This is my passion. This is where I belong." In that moment I knew I had created myself. I was starting to make my mark on the world. Needless to say I was hired! So, in 19 days I leave to start a new adventure in my life. One that I have created or I suppose one that I was always going to create, but had to go the long way around to find. God knew what he was doing with me! Woo hoo!! I am extremely excited, nervous, and scared, but mostly ready. Ready to be changed and ready to help. I have heard this job will be one of the toughest summers of your life, but one of the most rewarding. I am ready to grow, learn, and come back forever changed. I am ready to live in the moment. The moment I created.
* I don't actually have kids. These are the boys I work with at the youth home I work at.
* Ramapo is in New York. The place where I found the postcard.
