Grandpa Digs in Yard and Finds Baby Chest Untouched for 46 Years — Story of the Day

A grandfather who enjoys gardening with his grandchildren finds a 46-year-old baby chest while digging in his yard one day. Curious to know what's inside, he breaks open the latch.

Victor was 72 years old, and his favorite pastime was tending to his small garden at the back of his house with his granddaughters, Lily and Beth.

Building the garden behind their house was his late wife Georgina's idea, and Victor loved her so much that he planted new flowers there every month in her memory.

One day, Beth and Lily were helping Victor plant peonies in the garden. Beth was digging the ground with a small shovel when she suddenly heard a clink. "Grandpa! Grandpa!" she cried to Victor. "I can't dig anymore! There's something here!"

"Oh, is there? Did you find a treasure in Grandpa's yard?" he gasped, and Beth smiled.

"Will it be a lot of money if it's a treasure, Grandpa?" she asked curiously.

Victor burst out laughing. "We'll see about that, honey."

Victor dug the ground completely, but what he found inside wasn't treasure. It was an old baby chest with the digits "1976" etched in large writing on top, and it had a huge lock on the front.

Victor broke the latch with his shovel and was startled to see baby boots and clothes inside. They were perfectly pressed and in order as if nobody had ever touched them.

It takes time to get over grief, but you must let go of the past.

"Whose clothes and boots are these, Grandpa?" Lily inquired.

"Oh dear, I have no idea, honey," Victor replied, clueless about who could have buried it there.

Sorting through the contents of the chest, he discovered a sheet of paper inside. It had turned yellow, and much of the writing had faded, but Victor knew who it belonged to. He recognized the name.

It was a document containing Georgina's best friend Slyvia's medical records. Sylvia, according to the records, had lost her child in 1976.

Victor had no clue that something so unfortunate had happened to Slyvia. What puzzled him, even more, was why the chest was buried in his yard. There were several questions he wanted answers to so he decided to find Sylvia and asked his friend, Detective County, for help.

Almost two weeks passed, and there was no word about Slyvia from the detective. Victor had started to give up hope of ever seeing her until Detective County dropped by his house early one morning to tell him he'd found Slyvia's address.

Without further ado, Victor proceeded to the address only to find himself in a run-down cottage. He took a deep breath and knocked on the door, and Slyvia emerged from inside.

"Victor?" she exclaimed, surprised to see him after so many years. For a brief moment, Victor didn't recognize her. She looked pale, weak, and malnourished.

"It's been quite a long time, Sylvia. Can I come in?" he asked.

She nodded lightly and showed him the way inside. As he settled on a wooden chair, Victor took the chest out of his bag. "I discovered this in my backyard a few weeks ago. I'm sure you recognize it," he said.

Sylvia looked at the chest and tears began to gather in her eyes. She took the chest from Victor and hugged it, and she wouldn't stop crying. "Oh, I'd totally forgotten about this. Oh, my baby..." she cried.

"How did it all happen, Slyvia?" Victor asked, concerned for her. "I had no idea that the chest was buried in my yard. Did Georgina know about it?"

Sylvia shook her head. "I left it there secretly because of my husband. He changed drastically when we lost our child. He wanted to throw away my baby's belongings, which I had bought with so much love. How could I ever consider tossing them away?

"I knew they'd be safe with you and Georgina, so one day, I buried the chest behind your house. But because I felt embarrassed, I never told you both about it. Now that Paul is no longer alive... I can keep this to myself. Thank you very much, Victor. Thank you!"

Victor masked his tears in front of Sylvia as he left her home that day, but deep down, he was feeling terrible for her. He could see she was still not over her past.

Since then, Victor began visiting Sylvia's house secretly with his granddaughters and planting flowers in her garden.

One fine morning, Slyvia woke up to a huge flower garden right outside her window and couldn't believe her eyes. Then she saw Victor standing outside, smiling beside the marigolds, and knew who was behind it.

Slyvia returned his smile, and deep down, she could feel she was now prepared for a fresh start. She was in love again. With Victor and his garden. And in the end, she was finally able to get rid of her baby's belongings and move on in life.

What can we learn from this story?

• It takes time to get over grief, but you must let go of the past. Sylvia had been through a lot in her life, but after meeting Victor, she decided to move on.

• A small gesture can turn someone's life around. The beautiful garden Victor planted for Slyvia gave her hope for a new life, and she decided to move on.

If you enjoyed this story, you might like this one about a cashier who rudely dismisses a rich lady for a mere $11 until a cleaning lady grabs him by the collar.

This story is inspired by the everyday lives of our readers and written by a professional writer. Any resemblance to actual names or locations is purely coincidental. All images are for illustration purposes only. Share your story with us; maybe it will change someone's life. If you would like to share your story, please send it to info@amomama.com.