Monthly Message - October

Hello everyone,

This monthly message will be much shorter because I am living in a location where hurricane Helene hit here in Asheville, North Carolina. 

The last few days have felt like a dream, a very crazy and scary dream, and each morning I wake up and realize that what I remember actually happened.

However, I choose to have these monthly messages always as positive messages because I believe that despite whatever occurs, there’s a reason for it, and that reason will help all people involved in more ways than we can know right now.

After the hurricane went through and the winds finally died down, all of the people in this community (I think we’re around 100 people) were coming out of our houses and into the street. Most of us still shaking from the fear of watching the storm for hours on end.

We saw (and heard) how even a tornado washed through the neighborhood, taking down trees and power lines, some caving in roofs of houses, garages, and carports. 

But we had smiles on our faces, and we weren’t complaining. Jokes were even being made, and I think all of us were just feeling the gratitude of being alive.

The following days were spent with neighbors helping each other in all ways possible. None of us have had electricity, water, or cell service since the storm. If we hadn’t have come together and helped each other, we wouldn’t have been able to have survived this easily without resources. It’s been so beautiful seeing the radiant and kind hearts of people shine through the chaos.

This experience has shown me once again that we as humans are meant to live as a community; as brothers and sisters helping each other, not as individuals surviving for ourselves.

We were never meant to be alone. Living in a time where so many people are so closed off from one another in their own little houses, uncommunicative, and isolated, is a way of life that is very new to the human race. 

Humans have been around for HUNDREDS of THOUSANDS of years.

And let me tell you; our ancestors did NOT survive all this time by living like we are today, but by living in communion with the earth and with each other. 

We only have a short amount of time here on this planet and we have to spend it treating our fellow human beings with love and respect no matter what.

I wish you all as always lots of love. May we always remember what is really important in life,

Ananda

P.s. a little squirrel by our house was using his tail as an umbrella :)