Parent cleaning kid's room finds secret tin of mementos — gets emotional after realizing what it is

A Reddit user u/Afraid-Objective3049 shared a screenshot of a now-deleted comment from a parent who was helping their son organize his room when he was in high school. While sorting through old belongings, they opened a metal cookie tin and immediately realized they'd found something important. Inside were scraps of paper, carefully saved. Each one had been torn from cards and school assignments — birthday messages, handwritten notes, and classroom comments. "He'd apparently torn off every 'good job' and 'nice work' comment he's ever gotten from his teachers. As well as all of the 'Happy Birthday' and 'Love you's from all his cards," the parent wrote.

The discovery wasn’t something they talked about, but the parent never forgot it. "I realized how important those tangible affirmations are to him. So I’ve made it a point over the last 15+ years to write things down in addition to telling him," they said. Their son, they explained, lives with anxiety, depression, and PTSD. In that context, every note — even one line torn from a greeting card — became a message worth holding onto. "I’d like to think that if I’m not with him, one of those little pieces of paper might help him get through whatever he’s dealing with."

This story clearly displays the emotional impact children experience from affirmations given by parents, especially when the child struggles with mental health or self-esteem. In fact, a longitudinal study of 674 families found that parental warmth, encouragement, and emotional stability significantly shaped the development of self-esteem from late childhood through adolescence. Researchers found that even seemingly small gestures, like consistent verbal support and written praise, had lasting effects on how children saw themselves.

The story reminded many people of the small gestures that linger, and many shared their thoughts in the comments. u/Environmental_Art591 wrote, "Even better because they weren't snooping, they were helping organise with permission." u/Wadarkhu commented, "It is so sweet, sobbing tbh, also stealing his idea. I wonder if it's weird to raid your attic for 20+ yr old school work? Lol." u/rockytopbilly chimed in, "That guy and my father would’ve been able to fix the whole world, I’m sure of it." u/Unusual-Ad4890 added, "He realized early that he wasn't going to go through life being showered with compliments and praise, so he started collecting them as mementos. Smart kid. Wish I did that."

Some shared their own stories. u/surprise_wasps said, "My brother had a lot of demons, a sweet and loyal guy, but unbelievably angry and stubborn. When he passed away a few years back, I found something similar in his room — just dozens and dozens of birthday cards and keepsakes and letters, and anything of the sort. u/AshMendoza1 shared, "I do the same thing since my mom has a habit of sending messages via sticky notes instead of through texts. Even simple messages like 'can you bring in the trash bin when you get home please <3' are placed in my box of special notes." u/Senior-Albatross noted, "My wife compliments me pretty regularly, and it does wonders for my mental health. I love that sweet lady for many reasons. This is but one of them."