Buying your first car is one of life’s memorable moments, it signifies that big step into adulthood and comes with many responsibilities.
One Kentucky teen was lucky enough to receive her first car as a gift from her dad.
Being the responsible father he was Kevin Duke wanted to test the car out first before letting his almost 16-year-old daughter get behind the wheel.
As he was checking the car over he opened all the compartments to check inside and found, hidden under a mat in one of the compartments, a letter addressed to the “new car owner,” and “important info inside.”
Kevin said he’d checked this compartment a few times before but had missed the letter it was so well hidden. “To my surprise, I find this envelope with this letter inside. I won’t lie, I shed a few tears,” he wrote on his Facebook page.
Kevin shared the heartbreaking letter on social media and soon thousands of others were also moved to tears.
“To the person that gets this car, I just wanted to let you know what a special vehicle you’ve bought,” the letter read.
“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.”
The grieving mom said she wasn’t “mad” with the new owner but hoped it was “the best car” they’d ever owned.
‘To me it’s so much more’
“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.
“I know it’s just a car to you, but to me it’s so much more. 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.
“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 on 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.”
‘Love like we did’
The heartbroken woman asked to be contacted should they decide to sell the car in the future.
“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 think I’d struggle with the responsibility of owning this car after what its previous owner had been through, such a heartbreaking letter.
What do you think about the letter that she left in the car? Feel free to leave your comments on our Facebook page and don’t forget to share.
