Since we’re in the memory-keeping business and it’s National Scrapbooking Month, we thought it would be fun to gather up a bunch of feel-good stories about lost memories (in the form of photos, letters, and videos) miraculously being returned to their owners. These stories are a great reminder of just how valuable our memories are—and how important it is to preserve them and keep them safe. Grab a few tissues, and enjoy! 🙂
1. Long-lost Letter and Photo from Dying Mom Found in Used Book
A used bookstore owner finds a letter and photo from a dying woman in an old book, and returns them to her daughter. Read more.
2. Family Finds Lost Wedding Photo at Salvation Army
A woman loses a priceless family wedding photo when her car is repossessed. Four years later, her daughter finds the photo at a Salvation Army. Read more.
3. Reporter Finds Old Family Album Discarded on Street and Returns to Relatives
A reporter finds an old family album discarded on a street in Brooklyn, New York. She traces the album back to the owner’s family, and in the process, uncovers a rich history of what it was like to be African American during the mid-1900s. Read more.
4. Mom Reunited with Lost Family VHS Tape
A 23-year-old purchases a VHS player at Goodwill and finds a VHS tape inside with footage of a little girl’s first steps, Halloween, and Christmas. He finds the owner through social media. Read more.
5. Man Finds Trunks of Photos and Documents Hidden in Home and Returns to Family
A man discovers a secret room in his old Michigan home with two steamer trunks of photos and documents. He returns the priceless memories to the family’s 70-year-old daughter. Read more.
6. Stranger Re-unites Family with Photo Album 20 Years Later
A man finds a family album under the seat of his second-hand armchair. After posting about it on Facebook, he finds the owners within 24 hours. Read more.
7. Photo Reveals Adopted Son Has Twin Sister
After learning he was adopted, an 18-year-old eventually stumbles across a photo from his birth mom depicting his siblings. This photo helps reunite him with his twin. Read more.
8. Woman Returns Photos to Families After Superstorm Sandy
A woman collects photos from the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy and starts a Facebook group to return the photos to their owners. She’s now uploaded over 2,000 photos and helped over 60 families reconnect with their priceless photos. Read more.
9. Article Connects Homeless Man with Family Album
After publishing an article about a homeless street comic, a journalist receives an email from a stockbroker. He says the homeless man had worked on his home, prior to being let go for drug use on the premises, and left behind a family photo album. The journalist receives the album from the stockbroker and returns it to the homeless man. Read more.
10. Social Media Connects Man with Photo Lost in 9/11 Attacks
A professor posts a picture of a photo found at Ground Zero on social media year after year, hoping to find the owner. 13 years later, she connects with the man who had the photo sitting on his desk on the 77th floor of the World Trade Center. Read more.
Which story is your favorite? Tell us in the comments below! 🙂
Wow!!! Loves these stories! Thanks for finding them and sharing.
You’re welcome, Kirsten!
my favorite #10, the wedding photo that the finder posted for 13 years with hope someone would know the people. Hope is a good thing to have.
Very well said, Patty. Hope is a great thing to have.
I loved reading all the stories. I tell my family and anyone who will listen to print your photos. How often a picture sparks a forgotten memories. This why I scrapbook and why I will do it to my last breath.
Thanks, Melissa! And it really is so important to print and preserve our photos! Love your commitment. 🙂
Tears run down my face after reading all these stories! Thanks God for memory keeping!