Ever since 2020, whenever it’s time to pack away Christmas once again, I always wonder where the next one will find us. So much can happen within the space of 365 days—personally and in the world at large. I imagine that’s a lesson we all learned during those pandemic years. Few of us, however, could ever have imagined a disaster like Hurricane Helene.
Gina Malone, Editor
Holidays have a way of serving as a source of solace and hope: times old and familiar and yet ever-changing as our circle of loved ones grows or diminishes, as fresh traditions are embraced and new ways of celebrating discovered. There’s an awful lot of work to be done all over Western North Carolina before we’re not reminded—in ways that continue to shock—of that terrible time. But in this holiday season, there is merriment, too, along with signs of renewal and many shining examples of tenacious spirits.
For me, the holidays are always a time to shop locally, and this year, certainly, our WNC businesses and artists need our support. We can’t list all the ways there are to help, but they’re out there! In this issue, we touch on a few of the many examples of love and kindness. Read about the Swannanoa Grassroots Alliance, ongoing work in the River Arts District, The Flood Collection and a generous gesture by author Robert Beatty.
The elements of any holiday season are here also: music, theater, dance, trees and food. Galleries have special events planned, including Southern Highland Craft Guild, Grovewood, Mica and American Folk Art & Framing.
I like this quote by writer Hal Borland: “Year’s end is neither an end nor a beginning but a going on, with all the wisdom that experience can instill in us.” Even after an ordeal as horrific as this hurricane, so many Western North Carolinians are going on—wiser, perhaps a little sadder, but strong and full of hope and vision.
May the holidays find us all able to gather with a sense of love and determination to make our world at home—and at large—a better place!
