‘Tis the season.
Some Southerners like to joke that there’s a church on every corner in the Bible Belt.
Like clockwork: vinyl signs with flashy logos popped up on every church lawn.
Credit: Fort Worth Star-Telegram/Getty
And, true to form, our region is once again dotted with colorful signs.
It’s Vacation Bible School time (also known as VBS).
VBS is a Southern rite of passage.
When she was young, she would attend VBS for two weeks at a time.
One summer when I was in high school, I volunteered at VBS.
I wanted to pass along my beloved summer experience to others, and enrich the lives of kids.
Construction paper flying everywhere.
Dozens of styrofoam cups lined up in preparation for snack time.
Countless Bible lessons to learn and skits to memorize.
It’s the sticky-sweet summer drink of choice that runs through the veins of all VBS kids.
I’ve never had so much energy as I did when running around with a red-stained Kool-Aid mouth.
This was before you could just look something up on TikTok and practice at home.
I usually had a large scrunchie keeping my hair up and, of course, it matched my outfit.
Naturally, I copied that look.
I’d pick the flashiest hair elastic I could find, and match my scrunchie or curly shoe laces.
I think this is where my creativity and love of writing really started took off.
That being said, my role in these skits was usually some kind of animal who recited Bible verses.
I’ve tie-dyed shirts, pillowcases, socks, soccer socks, and towels.
The last day of VBS is the most exhilarating summer party I’ve ever attended.
