Becoming a dad brings about a sense of anxiety you’ve never known before. The moment your children are born something changes within you; you feel the need to protect them, guide them, and ensure their overall safety come what may.
It’s a sense of duty that never leaves you, no matter how old your sons or daughters get. Furthermore it’s probably why when he bought his daughter a used car for her 16th birthday, Kevin Duke wanted to make sure everything was functioning properly.
It was during his search, however, when he flipped open the glove box and discovered an envelope that he hadn’t noticed when he’d opened the compartment before. Inside was a letter that would stir Kevin’s heart …
Despite having looked inside the glove box before, Kevin had never spotted said envelope, entitled “New Car Owner Important Info Inside.” He explained that on this occasion, however, he happened to notice something.
“Well, yesterday I’m in it tinkering around and I open this storage compartment on top of the dash (which I’ve opened a half dozen times already). This time I notice a rubber mat in the bottom of it and for whatever reason, I pull it out,” he said.
It was there he found the envelope with the aforesaid message.
Obviously curious, Kevin opened the letter and began to read. It transpired the letter was from the car’s previous owner’s daughter, who wanted to impress the reasons the car was up for sale, and just why it wasn’t simply any old car.
The message, written by a woman named Sabrina, read: “I just wanted to let you know what a special vehicle you’ve bought. This car belonged to my mom.”
Sabrina proceeded to divulge that her mom had passed away in a house fire, along with Sabrina’s 6-year-old daughter and her aunt. “The last time my mom drove this car was the day she left us. Her and my daughter went out shopping and got their hair cut. This car holds a lot of special memories for me. My home and everything in it is gone, this car is all that I had left to touch.”
Unfortunately, Sabrina had to sell the vehicle because of a mix up with paperwork that meant the car wasn’t paid off by the insurance.
“It’s very upsetting that I have lost my family, my home, and now I’m losing this last link I have with my mom and child through no fault of my own,” Sabrina wrote.
“I hope this car is the best car you’ve ever owned. I hope it runs for 100 more years. I hope the backseat is filled with kids and toys and random things. My family filled this car with lots of love and other sticky things. We took road trips, blared 80’s and country music and rolled the windows down.
“I’ve changed more diapers in the back seat than I can count. There’s probably a sucker stick or a crayon hidden somewhere that belonged to my baby. Maybe an entire chicken nugget.”
“I don’t know if you’ll see it, but there may be a dirty spot on the dash. My daughter and I would pretend to go on adventures while we sat in the driveway and she always put her feet there. The dent on the rear driver’s side fender and the dent in the passenger side door are where my daughter learned to ride… and crash… her bike a few months before her death. I know it’s just a car to you, but to me, it’s so much more,”
Sabrina continued: “Life happened in this car. Love, joy, and adventure was had in this car. So now that it’s yours, please remember it isn’t just a car. It’s a memory. This car with all its quirks is the last piece of my family. You’re riding with angels. My angels. Talk to them if you like, I’m sure they’d like to see and hear about any new adventures you take in this car. By the way, her name is Sylvia.”
“If you ever want to sell Sylvia, please try to find me.
“Be blessed, be happy, live and love like we did. I wish you, and Sylvia, the best!”
Upon reading the letter, Kevin posted its contents straight to social media. From there, the internet did what it does best, with a woman named Tammi, from Kansas, beginning a fundraiser in a bid to raise the necessary cash to reunite Sabrina with her beloved Sylvia.\
The fundraiser was a monumental success! A video was later uploaded of Sabrina driving Sylvia for the first time in two years. Not only that, but Kevin and his daughter Jada were there for the ride, as was Tammi!
Sabrina couldn’t possibly have known the letter she left in the glovebox would have instigated such a phenomenal turn of events, but owing to the unerring kindness of a few people, some semblance of normality was returned to her.
You see, it sometimes doesn’t take ridiculously grand acts to change someone’s life. Often all it needs is a little bit of heart and a decision – such as the one Kevin took in uploading the letter to social media – that can set positive gears in motion.
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