It's a bird...It's a plane....it's...nope, it's just kara

My weekend was amazing, tiring, wonderful, exhausting, overwhelming, emotional, and just so worth every minute that I was there.

If you are just tuning in, this past weekend I was a counselor for Kid's Arthritis Camp.
This was my 3rd year doing it, 4 total if you count the year I was a camper.

Kid's arthritis camp is a place where kids who have been diagnosed with autoimmune disorders can come and hangout with other kids just like them.

It's a place where they can go to just be kids.

This year we had kids as young as 7 and as old as 14 come and camp out with us for the weekend and do you know what the theme was?!?!

My second favorite thing (right behind Disney, of course)...SUPERHEROS!!!

So, in grand Kara Fashion, I dressed up like spider-man for the dance we had on Friday night.

Not like a tee and shorts.
A Full body spider-man suit with my blue chucks to go along with it.

I'm that awesome.

But these kids are twice as awesome as I am.

Let's break it down and you'll see.

There are people out there who are born special. They are born with the abilities to do things that other, ordinary people cannot do and cannot withstand. They are born with powers that help them, hurt them, heal them, and make them into the people that they are meant to be. They can handle pain that others cannot, whether that be mental, physical, or emotional. They are discriminated against, hated, feared, ignored, and misunderstood. They are scared, brave, humble, angry, and confused. These people are feared because society doesn't understand them, nor do they make the efforts to. They are waiting patiently for their time to shine. Some you are afraid of because they are different. Others blend in because it's easier than standing out. They can change your minds, make you see things from their point of view, and they will always fight for what they believe is right.

You probably read that and immediately thought of X-men.
You would be right. That fits the description of mutants to a T.
However, I'm also describing people who live with a chronic illness.
Go back and read it again and think about kids who have a chronic illness.
It makes you think, doesn't it?

You'll meet people who you are terrified of talking to because you don't know how to act around them and you'll treat them like Senator Kelly treated the mutants. You'll want to change them. Little do you know, that it's you that will be changed just by talking to them and getting to know them.

These kids that I meet at camp have the power to do whatever they want and not let their disability get in the way of it. They will break your heart and put it back together by opening your eyes to see just what it's like being a kid who doesn't know if they'll be able to walk one day.

If you ask me, that's a superpower.

The kids at camp this weekend are superheros and I really hope that they left this weekend truly believing that.