Lauren and I went to Panorama Saturday morning. While she lingered about, I gathered up numerous boxes of photos I had come across recently – easily in the 1000's. I know there are more, but I think I found at least 80%+ of them. After dropping Lauren at work I returned to Matson where Jennifer and I spent about 3-4 hours literally sorting through Linda's life. I set out bins for 5 separate scenarios – Linda solo, with friends, with her kids/I, and with her siblings, parents and grandparents. The 5th was for images worth scanning for historical or nostalgic reasons. On Sunday I returned again hoping to find a few more stashes and ended up finding just as many again. Every place I looked had something and every bin I looked at the labels on that said memories, mementos, or photos resulted in the pile growing ever higher.This is all in preparation for the foreseeable need to have images of her life for any memorial the might be coordinated by her sister and friends. And to ensure her kids and siblings and friends can all have access to them digitally, online, and stored for their future.
Along with her life span of images, she was in possession of several boxes of her mother and father's photo collections. She was supposed to have gotten them scanned and shared amongst her family but clearly did not. Those are also really amazing and wonderful images to see, of an era and time long gone.
This effort was an amazing journey to experience, eye-opening, profoundly sad and life-affirming all at once.
Linda had such a full and opportunity-filled life. So many adventures, so many friends. Yet her memories and life stories were all shoved in a closet, out of sight and out of mind. Had she made these more visible during her daily routine and within her home, she might have had a far greater awareness of and appreciation for all she experienced.
It was also heartbreaking to have found photos of her childhood home in Silverlake in a state of such disrepair and filth. This was apparently how the home became after her mother had left with her siblings, and the environment she and her father lived in. It does, sadly, explain some of the 'hoarding' tendencies, though. she had a history within her family of being something of a packrat.
Overall this is 99% joyous work. It's touching and inspiring to recognize the scope of one life and all the experiences therein. I just wish she lived with more happiness in all she's had and done and seen and shared with others. It's a good lesson to learn from. Gratitude.