Several weeks ago, my friend Mark quietly slipped away. His unlikely journey started before Christmas: a result of a motorcycle accident that injured his brain. He was 31. For 36 days, I was welcomed into his big, warm, faith based Clan of a family - to cry, to laugh, to talk, to Pray, to eat junk food... Walking through adversity naturally brings people together. Strange how life is deliciously alive while suffering heartache and loss. I have always loved the adage "it takes a village to raise a child" I can also attest to the comfort of a village during tragedy. I have to admit, I knew Mark in a very small slice of his life. We had backpacked together over the past couple of years. For a few hours a day, over several days and many miles of trail, we talked - especially this past year. Talked about marriage and how to work at it, raising kids, finding a path for life, for work, the struggles, frustrations and joys of it all. In between, he would fish... and this past summer, I photographed him doing so. Just two guys following what their heart's told them to do.
Village: There's a ton of Lamberth's. Mark's family is big and full of boys.... add in wives, in-laws along with friends and one needed a program to keep everybody straight. For 36 days, nearly all were there. Staff updates with all of us were held in shifts because the conference room couldn't hold everyone. There was a Prayer blog and Flicker page started that had over 200,000 hits within a month (link). Mark worked at Mission Hospital in Orthopedics. Administration at Mission all but demanded him from the county hospital he was first taken to (they air lifted him two days later).
Co-workers of both Mark and his wife Angie donated 100's of vacation hours allowing her to be there nonstop. The teddy bear from 3rd floor that Mark modified to help kids understand how a cast works. His boss, who insisted on being the official MD to shut the machines down. My small part came from pictures I had taken last year. Early on, I made several large prints for his room - to remind us all what we were working towards. Then the pictures became a window view of who he was, an experienced mountaineer who loved the High Sierra. Mark and Angie have a young son Nolan - who no doubt will hear 100's of tales (some of them tall) from his Mom and various Uncle's about who his father was. I'm glad to know a few of my images will be there to help.
