He noticed fellow shopper speaking Turkish and ended up finding dad he'd lost 21 years ago
'You never know who you’re speaking to and what might come of it...' he said.
Oliver Archer (@oliverarcherfit) was in a store when he noticed a man speaking Turkish. Curious, he decided to start a conversation with him and accidentally ended up meeting his dad after 21 years. Archer posted the surveillance footage of the shop on Instagram on November 5.
When Archer noticed the man speaking Turkish, he immediately sparked a conversation. He asked if the man originated from Turkey, and he agreed, admitting that his family was from Istanbul. Archer was a bit surprised because his dad, too, was from Istanbul, and perhaps, he felt some connection with the man. The duo talked for a bit, asking each other basic questions, and when Archer asked the man his name, he knew he'd found his dad. He asked if he had ever had a relationship with 'this' woman and gave his mom's name. The man recalled, and yes, he said, he did know someone by that name from decades ago. "I think I might be your son," Archer told him.
He said he'd been waiting to meet his father for a long time and was surprised to see how life works in beautiful ways. "Moral of the story: Be kind, be genuine, and have a good conversation, even if it’s with a stranger. You never know who you’re speaking to and what might come of it," Archer wrote in his post.
Growing up, Archer would often ask his mother about his father, reported Metro.co.uk. In fact, as a 9-year-old, he even searched his name on Facebook, hoping to find and connect with him. But as they say, the universe has its own way of surprising; at 21, Archer finally met him at a shop accidentally. "It was a shock to the two of us, but here we are now, we exchanged numbers and we’ve been messaging back and forth almost every day," he said. Archer's story touched people's hearts online, and they wished he had a good life moving forward with his dad. For instance, @sarahkendrickmcmullen wrote, "I honestly believe in fate. I am so happy for you. I hope you get to build a relationship. Best of luck for the future, young man! He should be so proud of you." @charlxx recalled, "I met my nan the same way; she knew me, but I'd never met her. She just came up to me and was like, 'Is your mom so-and-so?' and then told me she's my nan. The weirdest thing."
@nene1me commented, "This is amazing! Nothing happens by chance; I hope you both built a relationship and he is able to make up for lost time." Similarly, @michelle.hanna.562 commented, "This is an incredible story. The universe brought you together. I hope he’s a good guy and that you both have a great relationship going forward." @mollietough wrote, "I truly believe every single one of us has a path in life and that it’s mapped out for us the day we’re born, and we can never stay too far from our 'path,' no matter how ugly it is. It was meant to be, in every sense. I cried my eyes out. I truly hope it is everything you want it to be and more. Good luck."
You can follow Oliver Archer (@oliverarcherfit) on Instagram for lifestyle content.
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