A good friend of mine posted this on FB. Worth the time to read:
throughout the recovery efforts in the wake of Hurricane Helene I have been repeatedly humbled at the outpouring of sincere care for the people of western North Carolina and from people across the world. I have said to so many that my observations and the many stories shared over the past few weeks has restored my faith in our combined humanity, and our great ability to love thy neighbor. Nothing personified that more than, just four days after the worst natural disaster on record to strike our mountains, a man who by all descriptions is my opposite wrapped his arms around me and through tears thanked me and so many volunteers like me for simply being there in his ravaged community. A man adorned in a hat bearing a flag of the Confederacy, a t-shirt with the maligned usage of the script “We The People…” followed by “are pissed off,” and an overwhelmed feeling of having lost most of his worldly possessions. Quickly it was made clear that tragedy can unite. That regardless of the political persuasion you follow. No matter what side of the proverbial street you stand on regarding social and racial issues. When people hurt and have lost so much, sometimes we can just shut up, step back, and love those that can use the hope that comes with such a selfless act. That selflessness, shown through tens of thousands who have volunteered days and weeks to help, has at times been almost overwhelming. Personally, I felt my political opinion mattered little. Liberal me, broke bread with the most conservative of conservatives. I teamed with those I share little ideological similarity in order to get hot food and fellowship to so many in need. And I actively checked my dissent at the door and spent many hours encouraging those acting on and basing life-altering decisions on misinformation, to rethink and consider facts over a very loud fiction that the government was not and would not help them.
