Grandson travels the world to open grandmother's secret box — the surprise left him in tears

They say that grandparents are tight with their grandkids, but not quite like Judith “Mimmy” Kalickman Bernstein and her grandson, Jake Kind, as reported by The Philadelphia Inquirer. In a post shared on TikTok, Kind shared that his beloved grandma passed away after a battle with cancer. Her illness didn’t stop her from becoming a pillar to Kind, and so she knew when she was gone, she had to leave the family something special. According to a TikTok posted soon after, the woman decided to leave this something special locked up in a box all the way in Switzerland. It left Kind in tears. 

From the time he was born until September 2025, Mimmy was diagnosed with around 11 primary cancers, and she gracefully battled them until the end. It didn’t stop her from being the best grandma to Kind. Whether it was his late speech or the united humor that earned them fame on social media, she stuck with him through thick and thin. Mimmy passed away in her home on September 4, 2025, but left love not just for Kind but thousands of other youngsters yearning for a grandma's warmth. As part of her legacy, the goofy and charming woman left behind a treasure in Switzerland for Kind to discover. 

The man had no idea of it until his entire family received an email from “Swiss attorneys” after Mimmy’s passing. Kind and Mimmy thrived on sarcasm and humor, and he continued to use that throughout his videos even after she was gone. He revealed that there was a sort of “deposit” across the country, and he had to go collect it. With only a month to plan and get there, Kind put on his thinking cap and got started. In another video, the mom revealed that after the grandma passed away, she received an envelope with keys. While she didn’t know what it was for at the moment, the call from the attorneys made it clear. 

After a flight and a chaotic trip in a camper, Kind finally made his way to Switzerland and, in a video, shared what he found in Mimmy’s box. He first found a bunch of photographs and then an old book. The latter was addressed to Kind’s mom and was “covered in crayons,” which the grandson mentioned might have been from the time his mother was a child. The book was no ordinary one; it was a handwritten book titled “Pistash the Peanut.” It was a storybook of a sort, of a peanut’s wish to be eaten by an elephant. He showed a rough glimpse of the dialogue and hand-drawn elephant. “The craziest part is that my favorite animal as a kid was an elephant,” Kind remarked. 

When he came to the pictures, he realized they were of Mimmy and his grandpa during their many vacations. In an update, Kind finally returned home to show his mom what was in the box. The mom was immediately moved to tears when she saw the pictures, memories rushing back from her childhood. At this point, it was hard to stay sarcastic and nonchalant as they had always been. Even the book tapped into a heartmelting part of her past, reminding her of the good old days. It reminded her of how intertwined she was with her mom and gave her a bittersweet realization of what she lost and gained. 

A study published by Research Gate revealed that a deceased loved one’s belongings can play an important part in the grieving process. The mere act of feeling something that once belonged to a loved one can help in the process of acceptance and grief, which is naturally complicated. It was also noted that “personal grief rituals” are important to complete the healing process. For such cases, having “symbolic objects” that meet emotional needs can greatly help. According to McCafferty Funeral and Cremation Inc., around 57% of Americans have experienced a profound loss over the last three years. Out of this, 32% experienced the death of a close friend or loved one. 

30% of the grieving population has sought help from professionals to cope. There’s no correct way to handle grief; it works uniquely for each person. For Kind and his family, it meant celebrating the strong, hilarious, sarcastic, and brave personality Mimmy was. And the internet respected that. @krysphilly said, “We all loved her. Thank you for sharing her and the journey with us.” @wildricht_2 remarked, “100% Mimmy is laughing and crying with you two.” 

You can follow Jake Kind on Instagram (@goobigubbi) and  TikTok (@goobigubbi)for more content on family and lifestyle. 

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