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Camp Butterfly: Transformation Starts Within

After some later reflection, it became clearer to me why I had cried so intensely when Cousin IyKeisha attributed her confidence in herself to me. You see, this 11-year-old girl was a reflection of the little girl within me who always engages in a tug-of-war with her own confidence. To know that I aided in her confidence showed me, in a divine way, that I had finally won the war with my self. How can I strengthen a characteristic in someone else if I have not first strengthened that very thing within me? I realized that God was speaking to me through this little girl and was assuring me that it's been there all along; I just needed to trust it. And what is confidence other than trusting completely in one's self? What is life other than seizing, accepting and embracing each moment? What is one's calling other than being of complete service to others and leaving this place better than when we encountered it?

The mission and motto of Camp Butterfly is to "transform the world one girl at a time." What is most amazing is that not only are the girls we serve transformed, but the counselors who work there are too. My life is deeply enriched having experienced and worked with such an organization, and through Camp Butterfly, I have realized that change is indeed possible. The transformation, however, first starts with me.

Want to support more organizations like this? Become a member of Oprah's Angel Network.

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