Have you ever purchased something from a second-hand store and wondered about its history? Rarely does anyone get the privilege of ever knowing — unless you’re a man named Kevin Duke.
Duke’s daughter, Jada, recently received a new car; well, new to her that is. The car was purchased from a woman and not much was thought of the transaction — until one day, Duke found something inside the car that both broke and warmed his heart.
Jada hadn’t turned 16 yet, so Duke had been driving and checking on the car. As Duke was going through the glovebox of his daughter’s ‘new’ car, he noticed an envelope tucked inside. On the outside of the envelope, it read ‘New Car Owner, Important Info Inside.’
Duke opened the envelope, inside was a handwritten letter from the car’s previous owner. The story she told was so touching that Duke had to share it on Facebook.
It turns out that the car’s previous owner is named Sabrina Archey — her letter detailed a tragic life story that moved Duke, any many others, to tears.
“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 mum. She passed away Feb 25, 2015 in a house fire along with my 6 year old daughter and my aunt. The last time my mum drove this car was the day she left us. Her and my daughter went out shopping and got their haircut.”
Sadly, Archey had to get rid of her mom’s car after a mix-up with some insurance paperwork. It was a heartbreaking decision for her.
“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 to not 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 mum and child through no fault of my own.”
Even though getting rid of the car was the last thing Archey wanted to do, she wanted the new owners to know that there are no hard feelings. She just wanted them to know how special it was.
“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 back seat is filled with kids and toys and random things. My family filled this car with lots of love and other sticky things.”
As if this wasn’t tear-jerking enough, Archey went on to share some of her favorite memories spent in the car.
“We took road trips, blared 80s 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. Ha!”
She urged the new owners of the car to treat “Sylvia” with respect; this was the name of the car, named after the song “Sylvia’s Mother.”
“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 favourite sound ever or some Lynyrd Skynyrd’s ‘Freebird’. That song meant so much 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 adventure you take in this car. Be blessed, be happy, live and love like we did. I wish you, and Sylvia, all the best!” the post ends.
Since Duke’s Facebook post went viral, Archey ended up coming forward in a comment.
“I can’t say it enough, how amazing Kevin truly is. He did not have to let me know that he found my letter. He didn’t have to share our story here. He was touched very deeply, as most of u have been, and felt like he needed to share my letter for the message that it was meant to convey. Please don’t be upset with him for having Sylvia. I know in my bones that if he was able to give me the car that he would in an instant. It’s not easy to buy a car. He just got lucky and got this one,” she wrote on the Love What Matters page.
“Give your babies extra lovins, call your mom and go visit your grandparents if u still have them. Tomorrow is not promised! And again, thanks to all of u for your support!!!” Archey urged everyone.
The car, the note, and Archey’s story garnered so much attention, there has been a fundraising effort to get Sylvia back in her possession and to make sure Jada has her first car as well. If you’d like to donate to this cause, you can do so here.
Sabrina Archey’s heartfelt letter is a reminder for us all to never take our loved ones for granted.
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