Together as a community of interpreters we have all experienced the amazing magic of representing everyone’s voice, no matter the race, the religion, the age, the gender and the differences between us. During such adverse times, we should be proud of our strength, hope and resiliency. Together we have created a circle of great understanding, respect, tolerance and willingness to grow and to always strive for better customer relations and delivery of linguistic services to a population of immigrants and refugees, that unfortunately now more than ever needs our full respect and attention. Each and every voice counts!
We need to live in a world where trust is the main thread of our fabric. At times, we just feel at loss! In the past few weeks I found myself wrapped with fear, worry and a feeling of hopelessness towards the worldwide events and the local news. A few days ago, I found this powerful image of lightning captured by my father a few summers ago while together in Mexico.
A short story about my visceral feeling of fear every time I saw lightning. I grew up in a beautiful and small Island in the Azores, Portugal. Our first house was built with lots of metal and my mother always covered the windows and mirrors with blankets during lightning. At times when the storms were getting too close to us, my two sisters and I would jump into my parents’ bed—a very special family time!
When I saw this picture, I experienced a deep feeling of comfort and protection…needed even at my age! The very moment this picture was taken our rooms lit with an intense light and power and for the first time, I adventured to open my eyes and cautiously embraced the beauty and the power of an intense storm. My father’s admiration and respect for the power of nature was contagious and both his photography and the time spent with him, led me to a completely different beauty. As a result, I now love and respect lightning!
No one needs to expose themselves to lightning, but you may have a story or an experience of your own that empowers you to take a chance, and perhaps allows you to team up with a trusting person that brings you as much beauty and strength as my father and his love for photographing storms have given me!
On behalf of CCCS, Inc.™ and colleagues, Zarita
