Gina Malone
As we go to press for this issue, I would rather be writing about spring flowers and newly green mountains, about poetry month and Earth Day, and about the many festivals, art walks and exhibitions on the horizon. However, so many of our daily routines, travel plans, education and work schedules, shopping excursions and evenings out have been upended by the threat of COVID-19. As with the stories on our website, I remind everyone to call organizers or check online before assuming that events in these pages are going on as planned. Things, as you know, are changing more rapidly than our deadlines can accommodate.
“In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.” So said Albert Einstein. It didn’t take long in these trying times for WNC residents to show their compassion, resilience, humanity and strength. If you haven’t done so, check out AshevilleStrong.com, a website set up for the purchase of gift cards that will help Asheville and WNC restaurants, retail shops, tourism spots, wellness centers, farms and other local businesses during a time when business as usual has been made difficult for all by restrictions, anxiety and empty streets.
There are many ways to help each other make it through this difficult time—while, of course, taking all precautions ourselves to stay healthy. Check on elderly neighbors. Donate to food banks. Shop wherever you can do so safely. Take advantage of take-out and delivery options at restaurants. Check out websites for regional artists, musicians, writers and other makers—many of whom have their latest creations for sale on their sites.
I hope this issue filled with art, books, music, Earth Day, plant sales and more will remind you that gentle spring is here, that beauty blooms all around us. The work of art on our cover is Cottage Garden II by Pat Morgan. It has had a calming effect on me during this difficult time as I hope it does for you. “I always feel contentment in my studio,” Pat says. “It’s a lovely space and I am surrounded by many of my favorite things while working.”
May we all, in the midst of disrupted lives and homebound days, find joy and contentment in our loved ones, our homes and outdoor spaces, and, too, in the
opportunity afforded us all to be reflective and creative.
