Sharing Summer Stories: The Camping Pro
As summer drew to a close, we asked residents’ families to reflect on their loved one’s favorite summertime memories! Here’s a fun excerpt shared by Cheryl B., daughter of Beverly, Bridges® by EPOCH at Mashpee resident.
Master Camper
Mom loved camping! Every summer, she and Dad would take us four kids to a campground for two weeks, and Mom was a pro … eventually. For years, we’d laugh about our very first time out. It was with a 50-year-old tent, and my novice parents didn’t dig a trench around it. Of course, it rained and water poured into the tent, so the six of us spent our first night “camping” in the car.
Family Fun
But Mom was a fast learner and our family went on to master countless campgrounds over the years. We even camped when we went to the 1964 New York World’s Fair and Expo 67 in Montreal! Mom’s favorite campground was always Fish Creek Pond in NY, but no matter where we went, she’d always make new friends and fun was had by all. Mom greatly enjoyed family time, and we would sit around the campfire at night and sing as my sister, Alison, played her guitar and my Dad, who had a beautiful voice, sang.
Lifelong Passion
Dad eventually designed and built us a six-sleeper camper trailer that got us off the ground and served us well for years. I remember watching him put it together! Next was a light-weight Cox tent trailer. In later years, Mom and Dad upped their camping game another notch and bought an RV to travel across the country in unprecedented comfort.
Summer on the Cape
Back home, Mom looked forward to helping at the Farringtons’ annual clambake in Osterville, dancing with Dad at the Firemen’s Ball (Mom would always bring home little fire hats for each of us children) and clamming at the beach every summer.
Mom and Dad made sure summers were a time for family, friends and fun for all of us. We are truly blessed to have grown up in such a loving family!
Bridges® by EPOCH at Mashpee’s Life Enrichment team is dedicated to providing unique, personalized programming that engages our residents living with memory loss. Through stories such as these, we can tailor our programs and activities to enrich the lives of our residents.
“We love hearing these stories about our residents,” says Life Enrichment Director Pat Laferriere. “When we learn more details and stories about our residents’ past, it helps us build an even deeper relationship with our residents, with more ways to connect with them in conversation and through meaningful engagement.”