Lisbon under a foggy mist... the amazing photo of a TAP PILOT!

Photo by Commander José Costa taken from the cockpit of his plane on 13th Jan 2011

After a long time without updating this blog (Mum has been ill for 10 months now...) I finally gathered the strength to "shake it off" and write again.

Some days ago, I was wondering what theme might be appealing but not shallow: in this new year, I really feel one ought to go deep into ourselves to try and answer life's questions and discover fortitude in shared values and true friendship.

That's when I found that a great friend of mine was seriously ill. Even though she is still young, she struggles between life and death and the sheer realization of this makes one aware of our common mortality.

What seems to be a gloomy discovery, very soon becomes a beacon of light, as I read the hand written messages she send through her Brother or Partner. These short messages tell of how much more she values life now, how beautiful everything seems and how much she wants to enjoy it once this crisis is over.

This reminded me that sadness is very much like a gloomy day: everywhere we look, everything looks grim ... But that is where the photo taken by TAP's Pilot Commander José Costa reminds us that one can always rise ABOVE THE CLOUDS of our lives to have a DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE:

This photo, taken from the cockpit on the 13th. January above the skies of Lisbon, reveals only, besides thee apparent ocean of blue grey clouds, the pics of Lisbon's Bridge and the statue of Christ the King.

Likewise, maybe if in life we have our own reference points, when everything gets dark and cloudy, we can always rise and, from the sky, perceive our beacons of light and trust in the only thing that does not change: everything passes...

Maria Carmo

Lisbon, 27th January 2011.