A Grandmother’s Gratitude: Sharon’s Story

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A week at summer camp came just when Sharon’s grandson needed it most.

My grandson Jediah became part of my household when he was 9 years old after his father became incarcerated.

At Christmastime, Prison Fellowship Angel Tree would give us a notice to visit a church where they had gifts for him from his father.

So we would go to the church to pick up his gifts. They were beautiful people. I can’t tell you exactly what he got at each event, but I can tell you this: We’ll never forget how they made us feel. We talked about that all the time, how nice the volunteers were. That’s what we remember the most.

FILLING A VOID

Jediah’s dad had many health issues from a young age. He had had major heart surgery and became addicted to the drugs afterward. He just kind of lost his way and was in and out of prison. When he was in prison the last time, right before Jediah’s 13th birthday, he signed Jediah up for Angel Tree.

Angel Tree brings so much joy to a heartbreaking situation. As a grandmother, it’s difficult to see my grandchild’s sadness. Jediah has shared that he often feels sad when he sees a family unit. Children shouldn’t have to deal with that. I can’t replace his dad, but I can’t help stepping in and trying to fill that void for my grandson.

After Jediah began receiving his Angel Tree gifts, the church contacted us with information about a camp in southern Indiana. Jediah’s dad encouraged him to go to the camp, so I signed him up.

At some point, Jediah’s dad was released from prison and went to live in a halfway house about an hour and a half from us. Just before Jediah was supposed to go to camp, we received word that his father had died unexpectedly.

Jediah was devastated, because he was really close with his dad; he worshipped his dad. A week before Jediah left for camp, his dad had reached out and spent the day with him. I’m so grateful for that because Jediah will never forget it.

As the week of camp approached, I spoke to the director and told her the situation. She was so understanding and assured me Jediah was welcome to come, but there was no pressure if he wanted to wait until the next year.

Jediah wanted to go, but he was distraught. He was kind of withdrawn. I didn’t know whether to send him or not, and I wasn’t going to force him.

I did end up taking him. If he decided he didn’t want to stay for any reason, all he had to do was call me, and I would come back and get him.

'REALLY GOOD MEDICINE'

Sending Jediah to camp after his dad’s death made me nervous. I’d seen Jediah struggle with the grief. He didn't care about living anymore; he was just kind of done. He had lost the most important person to him, his whole world, and he didn't know how to deal with it.

As it turns out, Jediah not only went to camp—he loved everything about it, but one activity stood out: the rock wall. This is a wall of stones at camp that campers can add a stone to for a loved one or a pet. Or the camper can add a rock to celebrate something that they’ve overcome that year. Jediah added a rock to a memorial wall at the camp in honor of his father.

That was really good medicine for Jediah. He came back and told me he put a rock down for his dad. He was able to talk about his dad’s death, and that meant everything to him.

He received the kindness award his first week at camp. Then he was invited to come back and be a helper for the second week. That second week, he grew to love and trust the staff, and by then he was hooked on camp. He just wanted to help them.

When he heard other kids talk about their own stories, it put the loss of his dad into perspective. Hearing the kids’ experiences really helped him open up and learn about other people.

Since Jediah loved camp so much, he recruited some people to go as well. He just wanted more people to experience this wonderful place. His group of friends who worked with him at the camp are his best friends. They’re great kids. They’ve all had hardships, and many of them live with grandparents, so they all relate to one another.

I would want other Angel Tree parents to know that the camp staff have a heart for kids. I wouldn’t send Jediah just anywhere, but I have full trust in them. Angel Tree partners with high-quality camps around the country.

A HOPE AND A FUTURE

Jediah is 18 now. He’s been a part of this camp for five years. He worked his way up from being a staff trainee, to serving as a counselor for a week, to being invited to the camp’s leadership development program.

As a counselor, he would tell me about the kids that were scared—whether they were nervous about spiders or about being away from home. He shared about how he would deal with those situations. He just had a way of working with the kids to help them not be afraid.

When Jediah wasn’t at camp, I was so proud to see him thrive. He was inducted into the National Honor Society in high school and received a scholarship for college. Now he’s a freshman in college, and he would love to be a camp director or teacher.

My other grandson, who is 10, is living with me right now. He loves going to camp too—I think he would rather miss football than miss out on camp! Camp introduced both my grandsons to the most nurturing, loving group of people. I cannot say enough good things about Angel Tree camp.

FROM ONE GRANDPARENT TO ANOTHER

I would tell other grandparents on this journey that we have an opportunity to shine for our grandchildren—to help pick them up, to support them through difficulties, and to help them grow and thrive in the midst of those challenges. We can keep them going.

I would tell them to not give up. God blesses grandparents to care for our grandkids. Let’s all jump in and do the next best thing.

I’ve been through a lot of trials with my own family. I know that in every turn, it all works out, and that’s just how I live. I know that we’re not always going to be perfect. We’re going to have our trials, but I believe that as long as you keep the faith through everything, it’s going to work out. It always does.