They felt that the grandmother must have bought and wrapped the gift and forgotten about it as it was tucked in a drawer.
Going through the belongings of a late family member can be a bittersweet experience for a family. It can be quite sad to look at the things of a person you dearly miss. At the same time, it could feel wonderful to be reminded of all the happy memories you've shared during the time the family spent with the person. A family was cleaning up a girl's late grandmother's estate after she passed away last year and found something quite surprising. The discovery might bring tears to a person's eyes and was shared on TikTok by @mommieslittlemonster.
In the video, a girl could be seen opening a little square gift box. The text overlay read, "Her grandma passed away last year. While cleaning out her estate, we found a wrapped Christmas gift for my daughter." The person added, "Her grandma must have wrapped this years ago and forgot about it." The girl unwrapped and opened the box to find a turtle-shaped jewelry case inside it. The box had a turtle pendant with a green shell and golden chain inside. "What a special surprise," the mom remarked at the end of the video. The mother, Jaime Sandoval, told Newsweek that the box had her daughter Lola's name on it and was found hidden in a drawer a year after her mother-in-law's passing.
"My husband gave the gift to our daughter, and I decided to record the moment, not anticipating the reaction it would receive on social media," Sandoval expressed. "Given that [Lola's] grandmother began showing signs of dementia a few years before she passed, it's clear she must have bought and wrapped the gift, only to forget about it. This unexpected find became a touching reminder of her grandmother's love and thoughtfulness." The mom went on, "I don't think the turtle represented anything specific at the time. It seemed like a simple, thoughtful gesture. Yet now, looking back, the necklace reveals a deeper meaning. It serves as a reminder that her grandmother was always thinking of her, even in moments we might not have fully appreciated."
The woman recounted how the grandmom kept loving her grandchildren even after getting impacted by dementia significantly. "The necklace is only worn occasionally due to fears of [getting it] tarnished. Eventually, my daughter wants to transfer the turtle pendant onto a solid gold chain to preserve the original chain," she revealed. The video received over 2 million views and more than 200k likes. The mom told the outlet, "It's surreal and humbling, and I'm truly grateful for everyone's kindness." People took to the comments section to appreciate the gift and share their own stories.
@shadesoflonghair wrote, "That's how she will always connect to grandma- tell her to look for turtles everywhere and to ask to see them when she needs guidance." @alliestark0 commented, "When my grandma passed away, my mom found baby boy clothes (no one was pregnant at the time), six months later, I found out I was pregnant with a boy, I swear she sent him." @triciastoks remarked, "My mom got her granddaughter a necklace to wear after she passed away. We have it tucked away somewhere safe for her. Looks like Grandma sent that just when she needed it!" @loolubell shared, "My grandma was a quilter, she saw me looking at one of her quilt books one day and made the one I was looking at in blue."
@mommieslittlemonster #loss#grandparents #turtle #surprise #greif #fyp #fy ♬ What Was I Made For? [From The Motion Picture "Barbie"] - Billie Eilish
You can follow Jaime Sandoval (@mommieslittlemonsters) on TikTok for more lifestyle content.