I remember hearing the name Bugg’s Island and daydreaming about what treasures were awaiting to be discovered. Since as long as I can remember, my family, and our friend’s family went on camping trips. This trip started out like any old camping trip: we would set up the camper, go fishing, and swim in the lake. By the time night fell, the magic began to take over our little imaginations.
The entire group sat around the campfire and listen to our parent’s stories with great admiration. My mom told stories about the hidden treasures on Bugg’s Island. “If you look carefully on the beaches of Bugg’s Island you will see two sticks crossed in the shape of an ‘X’ marking the buried treasure,” exclaimed my mom with excitement enveloping her voice. We were in awe thinking about what may be buried on the beaches! My mom claimed, “They leave the X’s so they can find their treasure when they return”. I never questioned who “they” were or why they hid the treasures; my mind was too consumed with excitement and anticipation for the next morning when I would get to dig up my own buried treasure.
Early in the morning my mom and her friend, Chris, would ride out on Seadoos and secretly hide the treasure. They hid candy spin tops, plastic rings, and other nominal items in the sand marked with two sticks crossed like an “X marks the spot”. When they returned they woke all of us up and prepared us for the big day. After loading us on the boat, we sped off to Bugg’s Island! When we arrived it was difficult for my mom to contain me from jumping out of the boat! Being competitive, I was eager to be the first one to find buried treasure. It did not take long to dig up all of the candy and toys; not a single “X marks the spot” was left! I had a tiny pink crown on top of my head, three shiny plastic rings on one hand, and a candy filled spin top in the other hand. Every kid on the island felt like the luckiest kid in the world and was glowing with joy. I will never forget how I felt after finding my own buried treasure.
Now that I am older I know that none of it was real, however it taught me something very important. It taught me that you can make anything magical for kids. You don’t have to spend a lot of money or go on extravagant vacations to make memories; sometimes the little things in life make the biggest impact. The simple mind of a child needs nothing more than imagination. The treasures I found on Bugg’s Island will never compare to the memories that I will treasure forever.
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