Tourist cries after Instagram 'suggestion' connects her with someone she had been searching for 20 years

As we grow up and migrate for education, work, or other needs, we often lose touch with those who built our lives from the ground up — our primary circle. Earlier, these reunions would be much harder, owing to the postal process, the arduous hunt for addresses, and very little connection between one land and the other. But thanks to social media, all our friends are usually one tap away. However, sometimes, unforeseen challenges keep these gems hidden. Sharing one such story on October 5, a woman detailed how she found a loved one through Instagram's 'suggested list' — a precious one she'd been searching for over 20 years.

Rachel Levin, who goes by @rclbeauty101 on Instagram, started the video muttering, "Don't cry, don't cry, don't cry," clearly overwhelmed by the news. Rachel recalled stumbling across an Instagram account in her suggested accounts list, and soon realized that it was her childhood best friend, whom she hadn't met in 20 years. Rachel then revealed that her friend, Eve Harper Palko Close, had moved to another country before they had their phones, making it challenging for them to stay in touch. A changed surname had proven to be the toughest thorn obstructing her from finding her friend over the last two decades.

Rachel didn’t want to miss the chance this time, so she quickly sent her a message, and to her delight, her friend instantly recognized her and replied. As they caught up, they discovered something surprising: Eve lived in the very city Rachel was visiting for a one-day music session. What were the odds! In the video, Rachel is seen waiting in the apartment lobby, and moments later, her friend walks in, her head hung in disbelief. Both of them stood visibly speechless, jumping into each other's arms as they reconnected after all the years they had spent apart.

In a study authored by Erin M. Sumner, Artemio Ramirez, and Jennifer Fletcher in 2021, a national sample of Americans aged 65 and above was analyzed. It revealed that nearly 60% had reconnected with a former partner, such as a friend, family member, coworker, or ex-romantic partner, via social networking sites in the past year. The study also highlighted that whether the reconnection lasted beyond the initial recontact depended on how close the relationship had been before losing touch, and whether people used multiple modes of communication after reconnecting.

Soon after Rachel's video went viral, the post drew a lot of heartwarming reactions from online users who left sweet notes for the long-lost childhood friends. @_xxdr0p_d3ad_d011xx_ commented, "I needed to see this, I can't explain it but this made me so happy for you both." @prapyoung wrote, "Even with all the negatives of social media. This is one of the benefits. Glad you got to reconnect with them Rachel." @supercooledliquid commented, "Sometimes the algorithm can gift you moments like these :)"

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