Goddess of Mercy floats down the French Broad

Goddess of Mercy floats down the French Broad

I was staring in transfixed shock as the flood water rushed by thinking about the raw power of Mother Nature and feeling helpless in the face of such suffering. When I looked into the water, I saw the head of the Buddhist goddess of compassion serenely floating down the river. Guanyin is the embodiment of compassion and mercy, and is called upon by worshipers in times of desperation. I don't know where she came from or where she ended up, but I'm so thankful for what she brought me in that moment and in the grueling weeks afterwards when Asheville demonstrated to the world our extraordinary capacity for compassion for our neighbors.