When I was 10, I lost my dad unexpectedly. The last gift he gave me was a singing teddy bear, which became one of my most treasured possessions.

Twenty years later, when my son turned seven, I decided to give the bear to him. To get it to sing again, we needed to replace the batteries. As I opened the compartment, I froze—inside, next to the battery box, was a small cassette. I was stunned to find it after all these years, completely unaware of its existence.

Curious, I played the cassette and chills ran through me as I heard my dad’s voice. He read my favorite childhood stories, shared funny memories, and offered heartfelt advice for my future self. At the end, he explained that since he wouldn’t get to meet my children, he hoped the cassette would introduce him to them.

That’s exactly what I did. The cassette is now my most cherished possession, and my son treasures it as well. Even my mom didn’t know it existed—it feels like a miracle that we found it after so long.