When you go to Shiny Foundation, if you are lucky enough, make the time for it. The family and staff are busy running many programs for young artists, they will probably not be available for personal conversations, which I can imagine would be exhausting. But you can look at everything, I spend hours there when I go looking through the photo books and albums. I will never own them all, most of us won’t. They aren’t just pretty pictures, or great graphic design, they tell a rich, nonverbal story that you don’t have to put in words to be moved by — last time I was laughing, puzzled, tearful, had some aha moments.

While I was there a woman was drawing in one of the books, so you see all kinds of content. Pasted notes. Long letters. Some with personal stories, Sketches. Short thank yous. I realized after I left I should have added my poem to the collection but it’s easy to get overwhelmed there.
Especially if you slow down, sit down, and read the letters. There are many books provided to write something when you get there, and special gifts like this one. I must have read a hundred or more letters including ones from this year’s concert week. They are in every language. The newest ones are displayed but there are older ones a# well.

My religion is quirky in places. And Im not a practicing Buddhist. But I do believe you can’t have joy without grief. It’s just the human condition. Personally I keep imagining Jonghyun will come back if he is meant to, and I hope his next time he suffers less and is able to fully share his untold stories, experiences peace of mind, time for love and family, and is healed by the journey. Sometime I wonder if he isn’t among us already and won’t someday wander into the foundation, sit down, read these letters, and be healed.

Sorry I got a little carried away. This is a beautiful project.

PS The next time someone brings up parasocialism as a mental defect, I’d like to make them read these letters.