While wildfires continue to rage in the Los Angeles area, California resident and musician John Mayer revealed “the most valuable thing I own,” which as seen below is a folder of photos of his late father.
With the photo, the 47-year-old Connecticut native wrote: “This is the most valuable thing I own. It’s a folder of photos of my father, spanning his life from being a baby, an educator, a husband and a father. It’s the only evidence of his life that will exist over time.”
He added: “These are the ‘documents’ you read about people taking from their homes. When you hear someone say they’ve lost everything in a fire, this is much of that everything, if not all of it. Those who say they’ll be okay still have their folders and their albums. Those who are inconsolable have lost them. Just behind the immeasurable loss of life is the loss of the proof of life.
“I don’t practice prayer but tonight I will say one for everyone who no longer has these items. It’s not about the art and the collectibles. It’s the photos, the letters, the class rings, the eyeglasses and the things we keep to remind us that those we loved were here. May those who have lost so much find some semblance of hope and support from their family and friends. Stay safe, look out for yourself and for one another, and trust that humanity and all it entails, though sometimes hard to see, is alive and well. This is truly devastating.”
Mayer’s fans and famous friends are responding including drummer Questlove who wrote: “Hang on bro. My mom’s side of the family lost our entire history last night. Names/heirlooms/only photos——I stress to people grab the mementos ——I mean, we will be alright but man…..that feeling of incompleteness occasionally shows its head. I’m so relieved you get to hang on to some sort of memory/history.”
Kelly Rizzo, widow of Mayer’s best friend, the late comedian Bob Saget, replied: “This is so beautiful John. And so true. I can only imagine how precious everything in that folder is to you. And when you said eyeglasses, it just broke me because those are some of the first things I packed up when preparing to evacuate. Bob’s glasses, a lot of his clothes and personal effects that I know are completely irreplaceable. Thanks for putting this into perspective, something you’re great at….explaining the hard to explain.”
Note: Mayer added clarification for those who voiced concern for his whereabouts: “For clarity: I’m safe, extraordinarily lucky to still have my place in LA, but keeping my documents close by.”
