An artifact that best describes who I am today is my silver dogwood ring from the summer camp I attend, Ton-A-Wandah (TAW). TAW is a small girl’s camp hidden in the mountains near Hendersonville, North Carolina. The ring has a simple band, but supports a beautiful dogwood flower. It’s significant to me for two reasons: it reminds me of how fortunate I am, and of how much I’ve grown and developed as a person in the summers spent at TAW.
I was nine years old the first time I went to this camp. I loved it so much, and had such fun, that the only summer I missed was 2020 due to COVID. My five summers at TAW are full of treasured memories with some of my very best friends.
At the end of each session, campers attend an Honor Assembly during which the camp directors bestow gifts to longtime campers. In 2022, which was my last year as a camper, I received this dogwood ring for attending camp for five summers. Throughout this time, I matured and changed for the better.
I am fortunate to have been a TAW camper for five years. This symbolic piece of jewelry reminds me to not take things for granted, to live in the moment, and to enjoy the little things.
