Seven months after losing her fiancé, she found the book he’d made for their son.
As PopSugar reports, a Reddit user who goes by the name EightySixTheWorld shared a photo of the journal she’d recently found.
The book had been left behind by her late fiancé, who died in June — less than two weeks before their son’s first birthday.
However, she didn’t find the book until January, seven months after his death. The journal, which was tucked away with her son’s books, is an interview-style book called “My Dad.” The grieving mom wrote, “I didn’t know he had filled the book out and read through all the entries.”
The section she shared contains the dad’s answer to the question, “Dad, how do you want future generations of your family to remember you?” In response, he wrote:
That’s a hard question to answer, but giving my best on the fly without thinking about it too hard. I want to be remembered as a good man who had his shortcomings and demons early in life. But after he got things together, he was an honest, hard-working person who loved to laugh and love. Never afraid to lend a helping hand to whoever needed it. A man that had a good family that he loved and would do anything for.
The dad finished with a wish to own a business that would provide for his family and keep his wife from having to work.
The mom’s sad story deeply touched the commenters, many of whom joined the discussion to talk about how meaningful memories like the dad’s book can be.
One commenter has been writing letters to her toddler daughter.
“I thought I was just creating a fun alternative baby book, but the project has taken in new meaning since I was diagnosed with cancer last week,” she added. “I still hope my daughter will know how much I love her from growing up with me. But if I don’t make it, I’m glad I’ll have those letters to leave her.”
Another wrote about a similar find she made after the death of her own father:
I lost my father about [four to five] years ago. While cleaning out documents I found letters he had written to my sister, mother and myself over 30 years ago just to be read in the event of his death. It was a great comfort. Not a day goes by that I don’t think of him in some capacity. Once we’re gone it’s all about the people, memories, and connections that are left behind.
Yet another commenter received something similar from her mom:
My mum passed away when I was four. She wrote a book for my younger sister and I filled with as many stories and thoughts as she could (she was pretty sick towards the end, which made it difficult to write). Hands down this is the most precious object in my possession and my only real connection to my mother.
Though finding the journal may have been heartbreaking for EightySixTheWorld, she is also deeply grateful that she has this reminder of her fiancé. As she wrote on Reddit:
“I wanted to come here to suggest that everyone try to do something like this. If he were still alive it would be touching but now that he’s gone it’s a treasure.”