This year we threatened a boycott, and forced Pete to give up the Sheraton. We chose Camp Hebron for our retreat site. Camp Hebron is located in the hills of south central PA. We would be staying in a circle of cabins. Each cabin contained 8 - 10 beds and a bathroom.

Mike C. signed up to go to camp, and I nervously agreed to be his counselor. I had never fed or dressed him. More than that I was worried something would be wrong and I wouldn't be able to figure out what it was.

When Mike C. first arrived, I tried my best to act confident for his Mother. When it came to Michael she was not quick to give her trust. She must have bought my act, because she left him with me.

My first order of business was to get Mike C. in a good mood. I pulled out all of my best jokes and ridiculous actions. He laughed so hard he could hardly breathe. We joked and kidded our way through the evening. He made it easy by laughing at everything I did no matter how ridiculous. I felt he was working to put me as ease instead of the other way around.

The first time I tried to get Mike C. dressed was quite an experience. Mike C.'s joints, especially his elbows and knees, are extremely stiff. They can be moved but only slowly and carefully. I was certain I was going to hurt him. The first step was to get his shirt off. Mike C. can not sit up on his own or hold his hands up for an extended period of time. You can probably imagine the scene as I attempted to hold his body up, his arms up, and pull the shirt off over his head all at the same time. Because I was afraid to bend his elbows I tried to accomplish this without bending his arms. I managed to get the shirt halfway off, with his head still covered. I was certain Mike C. was thinking, "What is this clown doing? " 10 minutes later the shirt made it up over his head. I expected Mike C. to be upset but he had a huge smile on his face, he thought it was loads of fun to see me struggling. Once again I was working to keep Mike C. at ease and was him who showed patience and a sense of humor that put me at ease.

From then on Mike C. found great humor in any troubles I would have. Mike C. especially found my inexperienced wheelchair driving amusing. Anytime I would bump into a door or have trouble getting over stones he would laugh.

The most frustrating part of dealing with Mike C. was the communication. It is scary to think that he might have some, otherwise, minor problem but his lack of communication prohibits him from telling you. When he was upset, it was up to me to figure out what was wrong. I always started with the most obvious, hunger and thirst. It could be an itch, or a stomachache or the need to be put in a different position in his wheel chair or bed. Luckily Mike C. was almost always in good spirits and enjoyed the "guessing game". I tried to be "super aware" of any changes in mood or facial expressions and to react immediately, we were having a great time and I didn't want to lose him.

Did I mention that Camp Hebron is located in the Mountains of Central PA? The cabins were located halfway up a very steep hill. To go either direction involved pushing a wheel chair up or down a hill. The first two or three times it didn't bother me, but it soon became torture.

Camp Hebron had horses. A chance to go horseback riding, was the highlight of most of the camper's weekend. Every camper got a chance. The campers who could not sit independently, had a counselor walking along on either side. To me, the most unforgettable part was the smiles. They were actually riding a horse!

One of my goals is to talk to each of the campers every day. It has always been a policy of our camp to take any campers that would have trouble adapting to another camp. This means when you approach a new camper you are never sure what kind of response you will receive. We have had children who are deaf, blind, mute, and all different levels of physical, mental, and emotional handicaps. But no matter what challenges each camper has brought we have always adapted enough to make it a week of growth for everyone.

This year I noticed a new camper sitting with the group, but not interacting. I walked up and said "Hi, I'm Dan, what's your name ?". She didn't answer but proudly showed me her name tag. I responded "Hi Trisha, I'm glad you're here !"

Well, I must have been the first one to talk to her because from that moment on whenever Trisha saw me she was right by my side. She ate with us, went on hikes with us, and when we sat down for a rest she was always right there.

Trisha was a cute little girl who happen to have Cerebral Palsy. She could walk, with a severe limp, and she could not talk. She had trouble with her muscle control and sometimes ate sloppily. But she could communicate with her smile and her attitude. Every time you saw her there was a huge smile on her face. She was determined not to let the cerebral palsy hold her back. On the first day of camp I saw Trisha struggle to bend over and pick up a yellow dandelion flower. My initial reaction was, we are in the woods, it's spring, there are all kinds of beautiful wild flowers blooming. Why would she want a dandelion ? She took the yellow weed and put it in her coat pocket.

After the weekend was over and parents were coming to pick the children up, I saw Trisha crying. I walked over to her, I was going to tell her that we would see her next year. But what she did when I approached her was more powerful then any words I could have used. She reached into her pocket, removed her prized, and by now slightly mutilated, dandelion, and gave it to me. Even if I had wanted to I could not have responded, I was choked up with tears. I took the dandelion stuck it in my shirt pocket with the flower sticking out. To me it was more beautiful then any rose or carnation could have been.

Why do I love dandelions? Because they remind me of Trisha and of all the other dandelions of the world. We all know them, and at times we have probably been one. They are the people who, when you see them, it is easy to turn your head and walk away. They are used to being ignored, and don't expect attention. They are the handicapped, the old, the unpopular, the hurting. It's easy to be nice to the popular, beautiful people. Everyone wants to wear a rose in their lapel. Everyone wants to be part of the "in" crowd. But Jesus didn't hang out with the roses and carnations, he hung out with the dandelions.

Let's see if today we can put dandelions in our lapels.

Mike C.'s mother arrived early Sunday. She passed me as I was pushing Mike C. up the hill for the last time. My aching muscles were glad to see her, but my heart wasn't quite ready to let Mike C. go yet.

I will never forget my first weekend with Michael. Here he was, stuck in a body that barely worked. What did he have to give? He gave what he had: his smile and his attitude. He gave them with all he had. He took the cards life dealt him and played them for all they were worth. Michael not only tried to make the best of life, but he also made the people around him happier. Can we say the same?

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