Several weeks ago, Hurricane Helene slammed into western North Carolina, laying waste to mountain communities with flood, wind, and uncharted mayhem. Add to that a deluge of disinformation that has hampered recovery and relief efforts and you can understand that these are trying times. My town was right on the edge of the devastation – we still have trunks of century-old oak trees piled up neatly on curbs, awaiting pickup – honestly, the amount of free firewood is astonishing – and you can still find downed electrical lines due to thousands of power poles being snapped by gale force winds. Further west is much, much worse. Schools, businesses, homes, farms – it will take years before things are back to “normal,” and it will not be the same. We must build back with the knowledge that this will happen again – Helene was not a one-off; she was a destructive warning. The list of communities affected by this go far, far beyond the “big towns” of Boone and Asheville and it’s a list worth knowing. Rutherfordton, Bat Cave, Old Fort, Swannanoa, Black Mountain, Newland, Banner Elk, Fairview, Marshall . . . and it goes on and on.
A tragedy this large feels impossible and it’s hard to know what to do. For the first few days, we were just managing. While my town got brushed by the storm, that still meant six days without power, relying on VERY generous neighbors and friends for generator space to charge our phones, being grateful for a gas-powered hot water heater that let us stay clean and warm, and a butane burner and coffee percolator. Our immediate family were all okay, too, which gave us a luxury many did not have – certainty that we had escaped the worst.
This may sound counter-intuitive, but do not overlook the importance of self care in these times. It may look different – less massage-and-manicure and more nap and Halloween candy – but burning yourself out leaves you with nothing to give others. And others need you just now. Personally, I had to catch my breath before I could do anything and it was in that quiet moment that I got a Very Good Idea.
I dug out my watercolors and painted a series of blue mountain ridges, working to keep them transparent and ethereal. I liked the result (it’s at the top of this post) and thought I’d make prints of it – something I’d never done before, although I have a shop on the print-to-order site Redbubble. I threw the idea out on social media – I’d sell the prints for $10 with every cent of that going to Helene relief efforts. I thought I might make a few hundred dollars and that would have pleased me mightily. As of today (a few payments are literally in the mail), that simple mountain print and your generosity has garnered $1,300! Prints have been picked up in town and sent via mail to sixteen states across the country! Truly, we are mighty when we work together.
Without me taking the time to breathe and think, I doubt it ever would have crossed my mind to attempt a fundraiser, much less have the energy to promote it and see it through. THIS is the power of self care! Please do not dismiss it as frivolous or silly. It’s what gives you that quiet moment to listen to your heart and get the good ideas – like creating a three-question survey to find out how my students were doing and what sort of situation they found themselves in when my university was figuring out how to resume classes. Without that, I would have been making some very false assumptions about things. That time you spend thoughtfully drinking your coffee is when your heart speaks and you have a better-than-average chance of hearing the message. So take that time!
While the news cycle may have moved on to other stories – especially in the lead-up to Election Day – my area of the country is still hurting. Please keep this area and the people in the forefront of your minds as you prepare your holiday lists – many worthy charities are working nonstop to assist the mountains and her people as winter sets her sights on the region. Regardless of your favorite cause – education, caring for animals, helping small businesses, assisting artists, or something else entirely – there’s a group with boots on the ground there to help. And assistance costs money, so please consider making charitable gifts as part of your holidays.
Thank you.
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