What I found out in my search was that soap operas began as radio dramas in the 50's and were sponsored by soap manufacturers...ah, and thus the name! As they moved to TV they maintained the focus of domestic situations and were characterized by sentimentality. Their appeal was that they were open ended and always concluded an episode with the promise that the storyline wasn't finished, tune in next time to find out what happens next.
And there you have life; as with a soap opera, we all must wake to the day to find out what happens next! In this moment of my life I see that particular fact loud and clear. Each dawn brings several different but concurrent narrative threads and at times they interconnect, affecting my moods, my approach to a situation and the outcome. At other times, a single narrative is so brilliant, it swallows hours of our day blurring the lines of the threads. In these days of the pandemic and of Parkinson's this is how our world turns.
The photo brings me joy. It shouts of previous joyful episodes, unseen today, but hidden in the past, of lives well lived. Just as with a soap opera, all their story lines cannot be seen at once. All the threads have not been pulled taut yet.
But there is a certain sadness when I see photos like this. They make me wistful for that gentle smile Russ is wearing. He looks alive and filled with the promise of the day, seeing his daughter marry such a great guy. There is more to Russ' story, more to Jane's. But we won't know until tomorrow where the next episode will bring us. One segment may close today and another begin tomorrow. But that's life, ever changing. I don't plan to change the channel. I plan to watch the whole show!