When I was 10 years old, I suddenly lost my dad. The last gift he gave me was a singing teddy bear, which I cherished. Twenty years later, when my son turned seven, I decided to pass the bear on to him.

To make it sing again, we needed to replace the batteries. When I opened the compartment, I froze in shock—inside, tucked next to the battery box, was a small cassette. I couldn’t believe I was discovering this now, two decades after my dad’s passing.

I found a recorder and played the cassette. Chills ran down my spine as I heard my dad’s voice. He was reading my favorite childhood stories, sharing funny memories, and offering words of advice for my future self. At the end, he explained that since he wouldn’t get the chance to meet my children, he wanted me to pass the cassette to them so they could “meet” their granddad.

That’s exactly what I did. The cassette has become my most treasured possession, and my son cherishes it too. It’s incredible that we never knew it was there—not even my mom had any ide.