A Small Miracle on eBay - 98 Years and 2,000 Miles

After last week's post about the Russian Christmas ornaments, a reader, who wished to remain anonymous, sent in this story.

I sometimes sell old photos, especially tin types, on eBay. You can often get a whole box for a $1. And there are sometimes neat little oddities in there like old advertisements and such. Recently I came  across postcard dated 1916. It was written by a young soldier getting ready to ship out to fight in WWI. He was writing  to his wife and professing his love for her and their unborn child. Although difficult to read you could make out that he loved her, missed her and hoped to be home soon and with his family. A very nice sentiment.

I struggled with the morality of putting this up for sale. I mean it was someone's personal correspondence. But it was so long ago I figured it might be ok. Plus it is a small piece of history. I put up the listing and even went so far as to ask if anyone had any more information on the piece.

Couple days later I received a message from a lovely woman who explained the man writing the postcard was her grandfather. The unborn child her mother. Her grandfather did not return from WWI and like so many veterans back then they never recovered his body for a proper burial. Her grandmother and her parents have since passed. She has very little to remember any of them by as they moved so often due to the military careers of her grandfather and her father who was also a military man.

I immediately told her it would be my honor and privilege to send her the postcard free of charge. I also asked if she had any young children, especially girls. Do they like Frozen? They do. I have a LOT of Frozen stuff hanging around so Mom is getting the postcard and the girls are getting a nice little assortment of Frozen stuff as my very small way of saying "Thank You" to her father and grandfather for the sacrifices they made.

The items have shipped and will arrive before Christmas. It is a small miracle that little piece of paper has somehow survived all these years and made it to me. I am in Connecticut her family is from Texas. Oh what a journey that postcard must have taken! And what are the odds that she would see it on the massive ocean of stuff that is eBay? Me thinks the faiths are involved in this one.

Anyway, just wanted to share that story.

Have a wonderful holiday and a Great Day on eBay!

Thank you to JB for sending this story along. It shows again the power of the eBay community and that what we do as sellers can really touch lives.

Have a special eBay story to share? Feel free to send it in so I can share on this blog.

(Please note the photo above is NOT the original post card in the story as the seller did not have a photo of it to share.)