You ever go for an IFR flight and fly straight into the clouds on takeoff. And be stuck in the clouds the entire flight. Thick clouds too, like "turn the cockpit lights up" thick. And you're watching the fuel drop. Calculating the headwinds and fuel economy

And you remain pretty confident that you'll make it, but it's closer than you originally thought it would be. Then you realize you're building a little ice, so you turn on all the anti ice and are worriedly checking to make sure that's working along with checking the fuel

Then suddenly the radios give out so you're all alone. Just you and this internal machine against fate and the world. And you keep driving on because that's really your only option. And prepping for your descent. Your references are out of date cuz you're an idiot, you realize

at this point you are just riding on hope that this'll turn out. And you have been doing this so long your almost numb to the fact that this flight has gone to shit. You are so focused on fixing what you can and the small patch of existence you have control over.

Then there is a glimmer of light. Maybe you pop through a break in the clouds just for a split second. Or maybe it just gets incrementally lighter briefly.

Nothing has really changed. You still have the same problems and power to affect the world around you. But you saw light.