When Celia Bashaw’s family cleaned out their grandmother’s house after she passed away, they accidentally got rid of a cherished family heirloom. After years of looking for the leopard carving, a couple of weeks ago, Bashaw turned to social media in the hopes of locating it. She posted a picture of her late mother and the family standing in front of the carving.
The post resonated with many people and was shared hundreds of times across the country. Bashaw was surprised when she soon learned that the carving was located in Rutland, New York, only a short drive from her home in Plattsburgh. Chris McKirryher and her partner Phil Matte, who had bought the piece at a yard sale in Pittsford, saw the post and contacted Bashaw. They arranged for her to purchase the carving at a very reduced price.
The moment Bashaw was finally reunited with the family heirloom was heartwarming and emotional, and made more-so by the kindness of the strangers, McKirryher and Matte, who expressed joy in being part of the positive outcome. Bashaw is grateful to have the carving back in the family and now plans to pass it down to her daughter. The family heirloom stands as a symbol of a mother’s love for her daughter, and now carries a new story of compassion and community.
Source: WCAX
Photo: luchezar / iStock Unreleased / Getty Images