this Lisbon Madonna Maker shines her light throughout Bairro Alto and beyond
It is still striking to me how often those who are seeking find others who are seeking. What are we seeking? Well, dreams—a bigger vision—a chance to be useful—a chance to do what makes our hearts happy. At Artes and Souvenirs in Lisbon’s Bairro Alto neighborhood, this Madonna Maker and I recognized in each other that impulse to find something more. For me, the search means travelling—finding Clever Chicas and connecting them to a larger audience. For this Lisbon business woman, wife, and mother of grown children, she searches for growth by decorating Madonnas to tell individual stories.
When I wandered into her store one hot July afternoon in 2018, her smile struck me. I have no Portuguese at all, but, as is the Portuguese way, she was not bothered by my limitations. Together, we communicated using bits of English and Spanish and French and hand gestures. She and her delightful husband, proprietors of this fantastic and fairly priced gift shop, helped me find treasures for my beloveds. Among my favorite buys—ceramic statues of the black and white swallows with yellow beaks that represent the Portuguese family values of love and loyalty—of valuing the journey and the promise of always coming home.
This Clever Chica reflects the best of Portugal’s culture. She is grounded in the tolerance required to sincerely and openly welcome travelers. She is the voice of a culture of travelers who for centuries have brought bring back the best that the world has to offer—then added that Portuguese twist to further perfect their global findings.
While in her store, we talked about life and how we had ended up together on this day, and she shared that she’s waited all of her life to follow her own dream—to be an artist who creates representations of the Mother Mary that reflect different moments and experiences in a woman’s life. Her dream is now being realized in her free time, and she displays her creations near the back of the store. I found one who spoke to me, pictured here, and I treasure her and the woman who brought her to life.
Thank you, Clever Chica, for dreaming your dream and for sharing it patiently and quietly with the world while you run a business and a family. Your quite grace and solitude embody the teachings of Mary and the mission of the crusade we call Clever Chicas.