A light pink piece of string was placed into my hand with a simple meaning attached to it: someone who made you feel seen.

At first glance, they were just pieces of string.

Each color represented something different: someone who made you laugh when you needed it most, someone who helped you grow, someone you’ll miss after camp, someone who made you feel seen, someone who gave you confidence. We walked around quietly, handing each other different colors of strings, each with its own meaning, letting the colors say what sometimes felt too difficult to put into words.

I expected to leave the activity with strings to put in my BBYO box.

I didn’t expect to leave with a completely different perspective.

As people handed me strings of all different colors, I found myself wondering if they had the right person. These were people I had only known for a few weeks. How could they already see something in me worth recognizing? Yet with every knot that was tied, I realized something I hadn’t fully understood before: relationships don’t have to be measured in years to be meaningful.

By the end, my hand was filled with color. Each string represented a different person, a different memory, and a different reminder that the connections we build on summer programs are unlike any other. They form quickly, but they aren’t rushed. They’re built through shared experiences, conversations around the perlman tree, moments of vulnerability, and countless little interactions that slowly make strangers feel like family.

The activity wasn’t really about the strings. It was about recognizing the impact we have on one another, often without even realizing it. It reminded me that every smile, every conversation, and every act of kindness has the potential to stay with someone long after the moment has passed.

For me, it also shifted the way I saw myself. I came into ILTC hoping to learn, to grow, and to make memories. I left realizing that, somewhere along the way, I had become part of other people’s stories too. Knowing that I made someone feel more confident, more welcome, or simply more seen was one of the greatest gifts I could have received.

BBYO summer is so much bigger than any one person. It’s easy to think about what you’ll gain from the experience, but what makes it truly special is what everyone gives to each other. Every person adds something unique to this community, and together those contributions create something none of us could build alone.

And sometimes, all it takes is a simple piece of string to show you that you’ve been part of something far greater than yourself.