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Since you are reading this, I am pretty sure you are one of the fortunate ones who know how special Camp Greystone is. I’d even bet you agree it is “The Best Place On Earth”….because it is! But, have you ever tried to explain that to someone who hasn’t been to Greystone? How’d that go? It’s impossible! There’s no way to fully describe it. I’ve tried all different ways – all attempts always fall short.
There are so many great memories and traditions from camp – Greystone experiences that have literally changed my life. And I know it’s true for you too. We all feel this way. I was a camper in the 70’s and 80’s. But no matter when we were there, we share so many special memories – all those Greystone songs, living in tentalows, feeling the beauty of Greystone surrounding us, the summer the lake water was low, another summer the swinging bridge was under water, riding the bus to the swim dock on Lake Summit just down the road, the “roller coaster” into Lake Edith where now there is a blue water slide, the fireworks on the 4th of July, the fun Evening Programs, Chaka Khan, Diana Ross - they’ve never been better than at Camp Greystone. And the banquets – the surprise theme, watching our counselors in the skits, and the toasts!
The list could go on for miles, but it still could not really describe how everything is better at Greystone. No ice cream in the world is as good as Greystone sundaes served from gutters down on the road. And the musical talent God always brings to Greystone is unmatched!!! “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy” will forever be Katie Miller Grant, Kay Keyton Attaway, and Sandra Keyton Whalen’s song. No matter how well Stevie Nicks or the Dixie Chicks sing “Landslide,” they will never rival how beautifully Lee Barnhardt Hatling sang it to us after taps as our counselor in Upper 2 in 1976. A Broadway cast of Godspell will never sing “On the Willows” quite like Heidi Strub Nelson and Dana Cunningham did at Greystone. And the real words to Sound of Music’s “Edelweiss” will always be “Pine So Bold.”
Some of my most favorite scriptures and hymns are the ones Libby taught us at Greystone. I can still so vividly hear Mrs. Hanna telling the story at Vespers about the couple keeping the flame alive and at Council Fire about the Me-Me Bird. What beautiful examples of Godly women they both were for us to have grown up watching and continue to be! And Jimdaddy! Has anyone ever encouraged you more? And his inspiring stories and teaching in the 4-Fold way of life and choosing to find the positive in life continue to help me in so many ways.
Being a Greystone Girl has really influenced the course of my life. The skills I learned in classes at Greystone prepared me to participate on a college sports team and compete nationally in cheerleading. Greystone classes also gave me the experience to have a great job lifeguarding and teaching swimming and gymnastics through college. (Thank you, Greystone!) As 12-year-old campers, Page Andes Morocco and I met, and we wound up being college roommates for 4 years at Furman. And now we live around the corner from each other in Atlanta. Also within our same mile are more Greystone girls, Greer Houston Monin and Nancy Alexander Caswell. My husband Andy and I feel so fortunate that all three of our daughters get to go to Greystone, and the blessings they receive through Greystone continue to amaze me.
I realize as I write this and each time while I am trying to explain the wonder of Greystone to someone that it sounds a little “out there” – kind of extreme. I understand that to someone outside, it may be extraordinary that this 50 year old who started going to Greystone when she was 9, is still talking about it like this and still loves to go back – every chance she gets. It might seem extreme that I love to work on Katie’s staff at Junior Camp and that I read the daily Greystone blog through the summer – even when my daughters have come home from their time there. When I go back for the Great Day 5K Alumnae weekend in the fall, no matter the mix of alumnae who come, we always have a ball together and no matter what era we went to Greystone, we all share this common ground that is beyond words. We feel the indescribable. Our hearts beat faster as we come near Greystone’s front gate. Why is that? Here’s what I believe….
Ecclesiastes 3:11 says, “He has also set eternity in the hearts of men.” We were made for eternity. Our hearts are always looking for and hoping for the eternal. We are tossed about and pulled in a lot of directions in this world, but when we encounter the eternal, I think our hearts say, “Ahhhh…this feels like home.” I feel that at Greystone. So much eternal happens at camp and, the truths we were taught there are true forever. The older I get, the more clearly I see that while we were running and playing and laughing with friends as Greystone campers, God was there all along, drawing us to Him, to the eternal. I think this is why we all love Greystone and why our Greystone friendships are so special…and why Greystone feels like home.
