Seeing Our Way Through …
Oct 31, 2015 06:46PM ● By Annette Briggs (Owner/Publisher)
November has finally arrived, officially closing the door to one of the most difficult chapters in our state’s history. The historic “1,000-year weather event,” as it came to be known, unfolded “live” before our very eyes, setting unbelievably mind-blowing rainfall records that devastated and paralyzed much of our state. And, sadly, in its wake, the hard numbers and cold facts have been tough to swallow, even for a tough and resilient state as ours—many lives tragically lost, millions (possibly billions) of dollars in property damage, lives forever changed, and dreams ripped away by unrelenting rain and flood waters. Yes … October was a tough month for us, capping off a very challenging year indeed.
It’s true that life is filled with both hills and valleys. Facts are facts and cannot be changed. We can only live on in light of them, forging ahead, hopefully, with a much better perspective on life and carrying with us the lessons learned. I would consider this to be a very good example of what it means to make delicious lemonade from the bitter lemons of life. American writer Arthur Golden once said: “Adversity is like a strong wind. It tears away from us all but the things that cannot be torn, so that we see ourselves as we really are.” Well said. Our state may not have experienced “strong” winds; however, we did indeed experience “strong” waters of adversity (literally) that took much from us, on one hand, but more amazingly, revealed so much more about the character of this state and the people that live in it.
The wonderful, loving acts of compassion and bravery carried out by simple, ordinary, everyday “heroes” throughout the entire ordeal has brought many tears of gratitude and pride to my watching eyes. There are so many amazing stories. I could fill this magazine cover to cover with them. I say “thank you” to everyone that jumped in to lend a hand, and those that continue to do so, both locally and nationally. I know that there are no perfect people, and we all have our faults, but that said, beauty lies within us all just waiting to be revealed—and it has.
November’s editorial themes are True Wealth and Beauty. How fitting. I am so proud to call myself a South Carolinian, today more than ever before. I have been fortunate enough to witness the true wealth and beauty in the human capacity to rise and face life’s challenges and overcome adversity together as a community of faith and hope—neighbor helping neighbor. We represent many cultures and diverse backgrounds, but we are one. True … it has not been easy, and the road ahead is challenging for sure. I was personally impacted by the event as well, but nothing compared to that of most. Even so, we are picking up the pieces together as a family to create a beautiful mosaic of overcoming triumph, giving those watching (and learning) a wonderful opportunity to witness how character and inner beauty are revealed from within through adversity. I think that this is what Golden had in mind.
Living on together …
