Man finds hidden Christmas gift from the late 1970s inside his parents' walls — and it had his name on it

It is often advised to never lose one’s inner child, as acting too mature all the time is not always feasible. Childlike innocence helps keep us grounded and true to our core, shielding us from the complexities of adult life. That’s why a man recently experienced sheer joy upon rediscovering a missing piece of his childhood memories. The Illinois-based construction company owner, Tim King—whose business’s account goes by @tking_cs on Instagram—shared how he stumbled upon a long-lost “Christmas miracle” nearly 48 years later.

A widely circulated video showed Tim walking through his parents' home, filming the progress of the renovation work. While inspecting the under-construction bathroom, he peered through a broken wall. Amid the debris, he found a neatly wrapped gift box. “We’re re-doing the bathroom for my parents,” said the businessman from Lombard, pointing at what was inside the wall. The hidden treasure found behind the bathroom wall was a piece of his childhood home. The renovation project provided a rare opportunity to slip back into the past, if only for a moment, free from the complexities of the present.

“Look what I found,” remarked Tim, guiding his nearly one million viewers to a spot behind the wall before pulling out a neatly wrapped Christmas present, covered in dust. This over four-decade-old gift had remained a mystery to Tim all these years. His parents had often hidden Christmas presents in the attic, and it’s likely the box had accidentally fallen into a crawl space without them noticing. In a follow-up video, Tim unwrapped the present to reveal vintage Thunder Jet toys inside. The local construction services operator estimated the gift to be from the late 1970s, when he was just six years old, according to PEOPLE.

“We took out a medicine cabinet before we drywalled and I thought, ‘I’d better just look in there to make sure nothing’s back there,’” the 53-year-old told the outlet. However, Tim’s mom failed to recognize the Matchbox model airplanes she might have purchased before the advent of the 21st century. “My mom wasn’t awake yet, so we waited to open it in front of her,” he shared. The business owner went on to share another childhood anecdote related to the gift. “So I have one sister, and my mom has always been very picky about getting us the exact same amount of gifts,” Tim said, adding that he missed out on one particular gift over all these years.

He recalled, “We’ve been joking that I’ve been screwed out of one present for 46 years.” His video quickly gained widespread attention on social media, amassing 61,736 likes since it was first posted on December 28, just days before the New Year. Among the reactions, @samanthabrandli.va commented, “What a sweet story. Save that wrapping paper! Especially where your name is written. You’ll miss seeing that handwriting someday.” “A man I know had to replace his mother's hot water heater, and when he moved the old water heater, he found a BB gun still in its original box that his parents had forgotten they had bought him for Christmas,” @diane.swords added.

You can follow Tim King (@tking_cs) on Instagram for his business-related and home décor content.