Gimme Shelter

Family unlocks the feeling of home

A decade before I was born, my Atlanta-based beach-loving mother spent a long summer at Grayton Beach with a friend. “We were so tan,” she told me on the phone, laughing. 

She and her friend woke up to walk on the beach every morning, hid out from the tourists in the hot afternoon, then took another walk in the evening. On one evening stroll—after they’d ventured from public beach access over to Grayton Beach State Park—a massive storm appeared out of thin air.
It was the kind of rain that makes everything look white, she said. To hide from the lightning striking across the ocean, the two of them first took cover in a ditch, then ran back up the beach toward their hotel. Someone came out of the first house they saw and waved them inside, where the bemused homeowner let them wait out the deluge. 

I came to Grayton Beach this spring with the intention to write a feature for this issue and my mother’s story fresh in my mind. I’d also heard about the untamed nature, historic homes, and trademark aquamarine waters in Grayton, which I wasn’t surprised to find true. However, I also found something of my mother’s story in my own experience. We all weather life’s proverbial storms—it’s the most natural thing. But it matters where we find shelter. 

In Grayton, I found a community that shelters and cares for each other like family. The word “community” is thrown around so often that it can lose its meaning until you experience the true weight of one: It comes with the unmistakable feeling of being free from judgment or the fear of failure. Instead, you’re filled with purpose and creative inspiration. In staying at the Hibiscus Inn, I felt at home instantly. 

This is the theme of our August-September issue: family in its many forms, both blood and chosen. I hope you enjoy reading about the different types of family love I found in Grayton as much as I enjoyed my stay. 

You can also look forward to reading about artist families across the Emerald Coast (profiled by Zandra Wolfgram), an inside look at local designer Nicole Paloma’s new collection, and plenty of recommendations for fun experiences with your own family and friends. As summer winds down and school begins, you can turn to Kari Barlow’s guide to wisely spending August and September’s 19 sunny days off. We’re also looking forward to our October-November issue, where family takes on a new dimension as the Best of Emerald Coast results are announced. 

With warm wishes for your own family, 

Olivia Sokolowski