Pamela is a lifelong seeker who reinvented herself at 50 as Pamela J, photographer, and lives her life as a tapestry of faith, friendship, and joy.
Pamela embraces each day with youthful energy. Her lifelong spiritual journey has led her at 82 to live with profound gratitude and joy. Her story is woven together not by grand plans, but by human encounters, an orchid room friend, powerful mentors in life, and a camera in hand.
"I really created a new life for myself when I was 50. That's when I started my photography career. I look back on that and realize itās been a huge part of my life. I always encourage young peopleā40s, 50sāat a crossroads: do what you want to do. Donāt just get a job to make money."
"Everything kind of weaves together, and you find out you never know when you meet someone what kind of role theyāre going to play in your life. You really donāt. And when youāve lived as long as I have, you start to see the result of that."
In her fifties, Pamela didnāt retire ā she began anew. With her children grown and independent, she embraced a calling that had been quietly waiting in the background: photography. What started with portraits and floral work combined with fine arts blossomed into published books and value-creating collaborations. Looking back, she sees not a series of steps, but a tapestry of life experiences weaving together.
"My mother called the [SGI Buddhist] center and said, 'I want someone to call my daughter [regarding Buddhist practice].' And it was Dianne. She called me, and we talked for 45 minutes. I still remember one thing she said: 'Iāve been practicing 10 years, and I feel like Iāve just scratched the surface.' I didnāt really know what she meant, but it resonated with me."
After talking with Dianne, Pamela attended her first Buddhist meeting:
"There was this woman [at the meeting] who said, 'I was a Christian Science practitioner. But then I found this Buddhism. And this Buddhism is for everyone.' At the time, I didnāt fully understand, but Iāve learned what she meant. It doesnāt matter where you are in life. Itās for everyone."
"[Forty years later] They [Dianne and her husband] came for my 80th birthday. Thatās the gift they gave meāthis orchid, blooming in an abalone shell. I send them a picture every year. I say, āItās blooming again on my birthday.ā This is the 82nd birthday. There it is."
Pamela didnāt find Buddhism. It found herāthrough her motherās compassion and Dianneās unexpected phone call that lit a path she would walk for the rest of her life. Their connection deepened over decades, and like the orchid Dianne gifted her ā still blooming years later. Their friendship has remained rooted in the light of their shared Buddhist faith.