I lost my dad suddenly when I was just 10. His last gift to me was a singing teddy bear. I kept it for two decades, and when my own son turned 7, I passed it on to him.

The bear had long since stopped working, so we opened it up to replace the batteries. That’s when I found something I never expected—a small cassette tucked beside the battery box. My heart stopped. After 20 years, here was a message hidden all this time.

I found a tape recorder and hit play. My dad’s voice filled the room. He was reading my favorite childhood stories, sharing funny memories, and even giving advice to my future self. At the end, he said he knew he might never meet my kids, so he wanted them to hear his voice and know their grandfather.

Now, that cassette is my most cherished possession—and my son loves it too. Somehow, through an old teddy bear, my dad reached across time to be part of our lives again.

Neither my mom nor I had any idea it was there. But I’m so grateful we found it when we did.