Wildflower Mom Kathleen and Her Girls
as told to Laura Krotky
There is no training for being a widow with 3 young children and a new job. Especially in the months immediately following my husband’s death, my life was chaos most of the time. I was always scrambling and couldn’t focus on seemingly simple things, least of all filling out paperwork. Once I connected with Wildflower, they made things so much easier. The staff at Wildflower had so much experience with a wide range of camps. With their help, I began to think about camps that I would have never considered on my own. We found the perfect match for my girls, even when they themselves didn’t know exactly what they wanted.
It is comforting to know that there are people who understand the situation I am in. So many people I know say “you’re so amazing; you manage everything so easily.” They have no idea how crazy everything is and how much trade-off there is to make things work. Wildflower understands what my family is going through and for 7 years they have been making summer easier for me and my girls. I am so grateful.
Emma (in above photo, in the center surrounded by her sisters) wrote this letter about her experiences with Wildflower.
My family has been with Wildflower for 7 summers I believe. My dad passed away when I was 11 and my family nearly fell apart. My mom and my two little sisters and I have made it through 7 summers without my dad and that was made possible with the amazing support and generosity of Wildflower. Wildflower has sent me to 5 different summer camps and amazing programs including Beaver Summer Day Camp, Meadowlark, French Woods, Apogee Adventures, and Acting Manitou (not to mention the camps my sisters have been to). My sisters and I have gotten opportunities my mom was not able to give us on her own. We have so many memories that will last us our entire lives from the summer adventures Wildflower has given us. On behalf of my mother and sisters, I would just like to thank you for all you have done for us. Thank you so much for touching our lives and our hearts and giving us the gift of joy, love and new experiences. I am heading off to college in a few days and I am so grateful for the memories and experiences my sisters and I will have for the rest of our lives. Thank you so much on behalf of my whole family.
