“I want to stand by the river in my finest dress. I want to sing, strong and hard, and stomp my feet with a hundred others so that the waters hum with our happiness. I want to dance for the renewal of the world.” ~ Robin Wall Kimmerer
Dear Readers, Community, Friends,
As we head into the season of stillness and introspection, does it leaving you saying, “enough, already”?
How’s everybody doing? I don’t know about you, but for me, Helene has offered up an audit of my life. Systems I took for granted, certainties that are no longer so, ... I have had the gift of seeing what I am made of.
In her book, Braiding Sweetgrass, Robin Wall Kimmerer talks about the power of choice we have between hope and despair. “Despair is not an option,” she says. “...grieving is a sign of spiritual health. But it is not enough to weep for our lost landscapes; we have to put our hands in the earth to make ourselves whole again. Even a wounded world is feeding us. Even a wounded world holds us, giving us moments of wonder and joy. I choose joy over despair.”
Helene took away so many things: homes, businesses, lives. But what has it given us? What did the waters reveal? I have seen communities come together, reconnecting, sharing resources.
Last Friday, Michael and I attended the Asheville Chamber’s AVL 5x5’s strategic workshop. Originally scheduled for the day Helene hit our region, the Chamber cancelled, not knowing how bad the storm would be. Two+ months later, the room for this meeting was packed wall to wall. I love Asheville. People were not just pushing tasks through to get this over with and “get back to normal.” They were asking larger, impactful questions, like: “How can we leverage this tragedy to come back stronger than we were before?” “How can we include everyone that was impacted in the conversation?” and, “Instead of categorizing what needs to be done in a hierarchical way, how can we consider everything collectively, so nothing gets left behind, and the solutions are integrated?” It was both an inspirational time, and it was a bit draining. Everyone was feeling the overwhelm and fatigue that is natural after a life-altering event.
The biggest question I hear post-Helene is, “What have I not considered? What super power have I not yet expressed, or realized?” I have said this before, and it is relevant now more than ever: What is the biggest gift you can give to the world? Don’t hold back. The world needs you now, and I am grateful for you. So, show us your fullest self, AND be gentle on yourselves. Get the rest you need. Together we will heal.
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