SoCal man gets postcard from dad 20 years after his passing: 'Arrived safely'
'A postcard from heaven': Bob Sheppard describes the mail he received from over two decades ago
Long Beach, California, resident Bobb Sheppard made a routine trip to his mailbox, expecting nothing more than bills and unwanted flyers when one piece of mail stopped him in his tracks. He couldn't believe what he saw: a weathered postcard from Copenhagen, Denmark, with the initials "M&D." These two initials meant the world to the elderly man, as they belonged to his parents, who had passed away just a few years prior. What unfolded next was quite an emotional experience for Sheppard, as reported by ABC7 (@ABC7) on August 8, 2026, in a video viewed by over 249,000 people.
A surprise in the mail
It all started when Sheppard opened his mail on Wednesday, expecting nothing more than usual stuff. However, he was soon stunned to receive a postcard from Copenhagen. "I just started looking at it and went, 'Oh my gosh. This is a treasure!'" he said. It was the only mail that he received that day, but perhaps the one that held the most value in his eyes. He instantly, upon seeing the signature, knew it was from his parents, who had passed away. His father, John, an army veteran, passed away during the pandemic six years ago, while his mother, Joanne, who was a schoolteacher, died only four years ago.
Words from beyond
Without wasting any time, Sheppard opened the postcard, which was postmarked in July of 2000. But its Los Angeles postmark read August 2026. The postcard featured a brief travel update from his parents along with a photo and ended with a family signature: "Love, M and D." Well, this wasn't the first time Sheppard received such a postcard, as his mother and father loved travelling and had previously been to Africa and several other places. What made it so exceptional was the decades-long delay of almost 26 years and also the fact that he didn't get to say goodbye to them one last time, especially his dad, because of the pandemic.
Cause of the delay remains unknown
Nonetheless, while Sheppard cherishes the fact that the letter finally made its way to him, what caused the delay remains a mystery. According to what the mailman told him, the letter might have fallen out of the bin that was supposed to carry it. Or it must've been under a desk and only been found recently. After which the postal services thought that "Hey, the guy still lives at the same address. Let's go ahead and send it to him." Well, whatever the reason may be, it's truly wholesome to see him finally get the letter, which he believes is a "postcard from heaven."
Thousands of letters are lost every year
Well, this isn't an isolated incident. On the contrary, according to a study by a tech company, Postal, more than 15,078 pieces of mail are lost every month across the United States. While the District of Columbia had the highest rate of lost or missing mail, it was California that led charts when it came to the states, which is also the state in which Sheppard is a resident. Yet the overall efficiency of the United States Postal Service remains commendable, as they reportedly delivered approximately 108 billion pieces of mail in 2025.
A much-needed 'hello!'
Nonetheless, the people were quite happy with the fact that Sheppard got his letter at last. @danib0616 commented, "A much-needed hello from his parents letting him know that they love him. I'm happy to hear such a good story; no matter how that postcard got lost, sounds like a divine intervention to me." Meanwhile, @Bendelmyboy wrote, "I think your parents wanted you to know that they’re ok with how things went and want you to know they’re still with you."
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