What do you think is a perfect present to give to a 16-year-old? Well, for Kevin Duke from Kentucky, the best gift to give his daughter on her birthday is a car.
This loving dad purchased a used car to give his child. Of course, he wanted to make sure that it would be safe to use. So, he personally tested it out first to see if it’s good enough for his daughter.
He then checked the glove compartment for a couple of times until he pulled up a small rubber mat which made him see a mysterious letter under it.
To his surprise, he immediately opened the letter and found out that it was addressed to the new owner of the car who was him.
The envelope of the letter reads, “Important Info Inside.”
“I bought my daughter, Jada, a used car a couple of weeks ago. Since she doesn’t turn 16 until March, I’m driving it to see if there are any kinks to work out before I give it to her. 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. To my surprise, I find this envelope with this letter inside.”
“I won’t lie, I shed a few tears.”
Kevin ended his post with these heartfelt words. Just by reading his post, you’ll know that the letter contains an emotional message. Even he got affected by it. It’s a good thing that he posted a photo of the letter and shared it on social media.
In the letter, you’ll find out the detailed story of the previous owner of the car, who is the writer’s mother. The writer also revealed the special thing behind that vehicle named Sylvia. It holds the memory of her late mother and daughter. Sadly, the writer lost her mom as well as her aunt and her own daughter in a fire. Because of the expensive costs of the funerals, she had no choice but to sell the car even if it means losing the only thing left to her after that tragic incident.
She also shared the happy memories her family had with Sylvia like fun road trips. It’s painful to think that she had to lose the car that is full of indelible memories.
The letter reads:
“To the person that gets this car, I just wanted to let you know what a special vehicle you’ve bought. This car belonged to my mom. She passed away Feb. 25, 2015 in a house fire along with my 6 year old daughter and my 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. There was a mix up with paperwork and that’s caused the car not to be paid off by 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.
I’m not mad at you. 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 backseat 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. HA! 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. Life happened in this car.”
The daughter encouraged the new owner to create new happy memories with his family. She even suggested some songs which are her daughter’s favorite. The most emotional part is when he asked the new owner to talk to them. Lastly, she revealed why the precious car was named Sylvia.
“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. Be nice to it. Play it a country song. Big Green Tractor was my daughter’s favorite song ever, or some Lynyrd Skynyrd Freedbird. That song meant so much to us that I played it at their funerals.
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. The very first day mom got this car, we all rode around and Dr. Hook’s Sylvia’s Mother came in the radio. The name kind of just stuck when my daughter said that’s what we should name the car. So please don’t change her name. If you ever want to sell Sylvia, please try to find me. I just paid for 3 funerals, I can’t afford to buy it right now, but hopefully, I’ll be in a better financial situation if you decide later that she’s just not right for you anymore.
Be blessed, be happy, live and love like we did. I wish you, and Sylvia, the best!”
I’m sure that as you read this letter, tears run down on your face. This story is beyond touching. Any person who will read will surely get affected. It’s not just a story of a car but also a story of family, courage, and strength to move forward.
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