:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(999x554:1001x556):format(webp)/john-mayer-77176e10b6374d22a78c521f560bd113.jpg)
John Mayer has an emotional message for the victims of the Los Angeles wildfires.
On Thursday, Jan. 9, the songwriter/guitarist, 47, empathized with those who have “lost everything” in an Instagram post.
In the post, Mayer shared an image of a file folder that features pictures of his 97-year-old father, Richard, which he called “the most valuable thing I own.”
“This is the most valuable thing I own,” he began. “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. These are the ‘documents’ you read about people taking from their homes.”
Mayer continued: “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.”
The “Neon” musician said that while he doesn’t “practice prayer,” he’ll “say one for everyone who no longer has these items.”
“It’s not about the art and the collectibles,” Mayer wrote. “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.
He concluded: “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.”
In the comments section, Mayer also assured fans that his home was still standing.
“For clarity: I’m safe, extraordinarily lucky to still have my place in LA, but keeping my documents close by. ❤️” he wrote.
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Since a series of wildfires have devastated much of Southern California earlier this week, more than 80,000 people displaced, including celebrities who have called the area home for decades.
Some, including Leighton Meester and Adam Brody, Anna Faris, Ricki Lake, Cary Elwes, Cameron Mathison, Spencer Pratt and Heidi Montag, have lost their houses. Many others, including Mario Lopez, Molly Sims, Kid Cudi and Bebe Rexha, have shared that they have evacuated as the fire continues to spread.
Click here to learn more about how to help the victims of the L.A. fires.