Misfortune and adversity can strike any of us at any time. I once heard that the true measure of our human spirit as well as our resilience, is how we deal with adversity.
I was very fortunate to live in Asheville, North Carolina for 17 years. It was a vibrant time, not only because of the western Carolina beauty, the Blue Ridge Mountains, the fast flowing rivers and the city itself, but the close friendships that made my life so rich.
So, watching in horror the utter destruction and devastation of lovely Asheville and the mountain towns around the area, I immediately wanted to reach out to my friends there to make sure they were okay, and had survived the brutal force of Helene. Several of them are Seniors and are caregivers or have spouses who are frail. It was days before they were able to respond with very short texts or emails, since power and water were/are non-existent, and trying to get a few minutes in the car to recharge cell phone batteries was difficult. Home generators were a luxury if you had one.
In the last several days, I have heard from several friends and am overjoyed and grateful that they survived the storm, even though many will be dealing with major home repairs and other issues for months to come. One couple is living in their daughter’s RV in the parking lot of a grocery store because at least they have water and a generator in the RV. Another hasn’t been able to drive to see her husband in a care facility because of the downed trees in roads. He is in critical condition.
But, here’s the one thing that I’ve heard and witnessed from friends and news reports. When adversity hits, we get to choose how we as human beings are going to respond. And we can either withdraw inward and feel like the world is ending, and it may feel that way at the outset, or we can look outward and wonder how we can help ourselves and others to make things better. When refrigerators and freezers had no power and food was going to go bad, people shared food and bbq grills with neighbors. Those who had generators, offered to charge phones or medical devices. Neighbors who had chain saws helped to clear roads or driveways. And that’s just a tiny fraction of stories that have come to light.
It’s amazing how much creativity can happen in the face of adversity, and how much energy we can muster when survival and spirit depend on us being able to reach beyond ourselves and look out for one another.
Manna Food Bank in the Asheville area has been the cornerstone of serving the food insecurity needs of western North Carolina for years, and their food distribution warehouse was totally wiped out by the flooding during the hurricane. And now when so many families are trying to survive in the wake of the storm, Manna needs to replenish what was lost to continue their outreach. Here is a link if you would like to donate.
The image attached to this post is one of the many paintings that were inspired by my years in the mountains. (I doubt that the river was this peaceful during the storm !). I’m happy to share that artistic creativity with you today and the remembrance of an Asheville that is forever changed.
Suzanne & Patty
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