One moment from Camphill

At one point, I was at Franklin house, and DD had left to go to her dentist appointment. I was in the house with the House Mother, whose name escapes me now, and her husband, who was working on the garage. While she made lunch, I sat and skinned apples and asked her about her experience at Camphill. She spoke of living at a different Camphill and liking it, but having moved to Camphill Kimberton that she loved it much more. I asked her why, and her response is what made this moment the most memorable for me. She said, Kimberton is where these people have come to die. I'm honored to be able to give them a happy life before that happens. 

At first, I reacted negatively to that sentiment, that Camphill Kimberton was a death sentence, a stopping point before they disappear from the world. But I have to think, how beautiful to want to give someone a space to live their life. 

It's been really difficult to hear and read the stories from other people about Camphill. My experience was completely different, and I spent a lot of time after Camphill asking myself if I had made a mistake or judged it too strongly. Therefore, this exercise has been difficult to find a good moment to reflect on for this post. I'm so glad that people had great experiences at Camphill and with their partners. There's so much that I wish I had done and seen, but I don't regret leaving. In the last few weeks, I was thinking that I'd like to go back to Camphill one day and see the place with fresh eyes. I think that'd be nice.