When I was 10, I suddenly lost my dad. The last gift he gave me was a singing teddy bear, which I cherished deeply. Twenty years later, I passed it to my son on his 7th birthday. To make it sing again, we needed batteries. As I opened it, I froze—next to the battery box was a small cassette I’d never seen before. I couldn’t believe it had been there for 20 years, undiscovered since his death. With a recorder, I played it and got chills hearing my dad’s voice. He read my favorite
stories, shared funny memories, and gave advice for my future self. He ended by saying he wanted my children to “meet” their granddad through this cassette since he couldn’t be there. I shared it with my son, who loves it. It’s now my most treasured possession. Even my mom had no idea about it—what an incredible, unexpected gift.
