My sister and brother-in-law made it out alive.

My sister and brother-in-law escaped Banner Elk, NC.
Banner Elk is a small town in the North Carolina mountains that has been devastated by Hurricane Helene and the 15” of rain that fell around it.

They were trapped with all roads leading out having been washed away.

No power, water, toilets, phone or wi-fi, and with a limited amount of food.

They finally found a way out that involved driving over electrical wires, snaking along crumbling roads, squeezing between gaps in the fallen trees and all with no GPS or maps.

They told me after they made it to my house that had they known what the escape entailed, they would not have tried it.

In these moments, we know what life is about.

It’s not about the car crushed under the tree.
It’s not about the house that has just floated away.
It’s not about all the stuff that is covered in mud.

It’s about being alive and being with the people you love.

It will take money to rebuild our mountain towns but it’s not until you are in a real pickle that you REALLY appreciate the small things that money can buy.

The drink of water.

The flushing of the toilet.

The ability to contact a friend.

I am grateful for my houseguests.
And I am searching for a way to keep this perspective for as long as possible.