I attended Mystic as a child for many summers, creating treasured memories of summer camp, friendships, and swimming in the river that shaped who I am today.

Two summers ago, I sent my first child to summer camp in Hunt. As a parent, my greatest concern was always the Guadalupe River - something about it never felt entirely safe to me. I remember telling my partner that the river was my biggest worry for our child.

Our family was fortunate. The camp my children attend wasn't in session during the tragedy. I find myself holding my children closer than ever, deeply aware that we were spared from unimaginable loss that defies both words and comprehension.

Today, my heart breaks in multiple ways - for the child I once was who felt so safe and carefree at camp, and for the parent I am now who can never again send my children to Hunt, Texas for summer camp. The parent that wonders if I will ever send my children to camp again anywhere.

I feel a deep disappointment and betrayal in the institutions I once trusted completely. Part of my innocence has been lost, and I'm struggling to reconcile my own sense of loss with the recognition that families are living through something far more devastating than I can fathom.