Jamie
We all have so many memories of Jamie. As I write this my mind and heart overflow with thoughts of him, our deep conversations, the jokes we shared, his accomplishments he so proudly shared, from "most fish caught award" to becoming a camp counselor. He was such a wise young man, so open with his ideas and opinions. He never ever complained about how difficult, painful, and regimented his life was, I never heard him say "why me".
I will never forget the night at camp when we were having severe thunder and lightning, and tornado warning. Instead of our planned outdoor campfire, we had a makeshift one inside the dining hall, with a fan blowing orange and yellow tissue paper with a flashlight simulating the flames of a campfire. Jamie raised his hand and motioned for me. He whispered in my ear that he wanted to sing a song. I announced his request to the group, and suddenly the room fell totally silent, Jamie covered his trach and sang "I am proud to be an American", when he finished, the entire room of campers stood up and gave him a standing ovation, everyone was clapping and chanting Jamie, Jamie, Jamie, and as if that itself wasn't amazing enough, at that very moment the clouds dissipated and suddenly the brilliant bright sun was gleaming across the lake and before our eyes an unbelievably breathtaking double rainbow arched over the entire sky. It was indescribable.
