Woman Finally Opens Forgotten Box From Thrift Shop, Tears at What She Finds
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
A woman found something very special at a thrift store, and is hoping to reunite it with the original owner's family, more than 80 years later.
Nicole, 40, lives near Sacramento, California, and used to spend hours looking through Goodwill bins for "interesting and old books" with a friend.
On one of these trips, she thrifted an unusual book about a girl and her dog, but when it ended up mixed in with her friend's items and accidentally put into storage, she forgot about it.
Until recently, that is, when her friend cleared out her storage and gave the book back to Nicole, at which point she looked through it properly, and it appeared to be the diary of a girl who lived during the 1940s, and the special relationship she had with her pet dog.
"I just thought it was so cute and wanted to share it on TikTok," Nicole, who gave her first name only, told Newsweek.
"I loved seeing how much this little girl cared about her dog all those years ago."
Nicole shared a video of the find to her TikTok account, @nicolezbluegate, on June 9, beginning with the red cover, which bore the handwritten words: "The life story of 'my dog.'"
The hand-written story included black-and-white photos of the girl and her dog Sassy, a Boston Terrier. It included the dog's date of birth—March 25, 1942—and even the names of Sassy's parents.
The handwritten book from the 1940s that Nicole found while thrifting.
The handwritten book from the 1940s that Nicole found while thrifting.
TikTok @nicolezbluegate
It delved into Sassy's life with the little girl, who reminisced on the day Sassy joined their family when she was in first grade, and how the puppy would ride in her doll pram and bicycle basket
Sassy loved riding in the car, the little girl wrote, and together they had traveled through California, Nevada and Idaho, and the dog even visited the theatre and motels, hidden under a coat so "no one knew she was there."
The girl went on to share some of the tricks she had taught Sassy to do, including to give the paw, sit, speak and revealed Sassy would even smile on command "when she wants something very much."
"She has the most lovable disposition. She always wants to be petted and praised," the girl wrote. "When I am sick she is always beside me and will stay there just as long as I am in bed."
The girl finished her loving story about her dog by sharing her wish that Sassy "will be with me for at least fifty more years, as I'll never have another one like her. She's my pal!"
Nicole told Newsweek: "Some of the details, like sneaking Sassy into the movie theater and feeding her milk, were so funny and sweet. It made me feel connected to her.
"I have two dogs of my own who mean a lot to me, and it just shows that our pets have always been important to us."
Boston terriers were a popular choice for dog owners in the 1940s, and were among the most popular breeds of the decade, according to the American Kennel Club (AKC).
The cocker spaniel, beagle, collie and boxer dog were also among the top breeds at the time.
Photos of Sassy and the little girl inside the book.
Photos of Sassy and the little girl inside the book.
TikTok @nicolezbluegate
TikTok users were hugely moved by the video, viewed more than 70,000 times, as one commenter admitted: "I would be spiraling trying to find the girl. This is precious."
"Oh man that last couple of lines got me crying," another admitted. "If only they could live 50 years."
"Just so sweet how she loved her dog and I know if this little girl is still alive and now in her 90's she still thinks about Sassy," another said, as one insisted: "I need to know what happened to the little girl!"
Nicole revealed in a comment that there is a name in the corner of the book, which looks as though it says C Schultz. And as the young author mentions the city of Salinas, California, Nicole has "been in touch with a local Salinas history group who've been trying to help track down the girl or her family," and who believe there could be a connection in the city of Elk Grove, California.
"They've found a possible lead, but nothing has been confirmed," she said, adding that she hasn't shared more online as she wants "to be respectful and make sure anything I say is accurate."
"I'd really love to return the book to her family if anyone is still around," she said.
"It feels like such a sweet piece of family history and I imagine it may have been donated by mistake."
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