From the land of maple syrup and moose comes a real-life miracle that proves the universe sometimes does conspire to reunite hearts and heirlooms.
It started with a thrift store find. While browsing at a re-Source Thrift Shop in Barrie, Canada, Alison Anne spotted an old locket tucked inside one of several donated jewelry boxes. It was vintage and inside, a black-and-white photograph of a smiling couple. But what really caught her eye? The man’s connection to the Royal Canadian Air Force.
Anne, driven by what she called “a simple, selfless act,” bought the locket and posted a photo of it on Facebook, hoping the internet could do its thing…and as the internet does, it spread the word.
On the other side of the screen, Kelly Brown, who just so happens to be a member of the Aurora post of the Royal Canadian Legion, froze.
“I’m still mesmerized. I’m still in shock. Yeah. I’m like, is this for real?” Brown said. “I had to ask people, are these my grandparents? And then I had the same pictures in my old photo albums, and I’m just. I’m in awe.”
Turns out, they were her grandparents.
The man in the locket? Bill Mitchell, her grandfather, who served as a Warrant Officer 2nd Class in the Royal Canadian Air Force during WWII. He was awarded the Burma Star and the 1939–45 War Medal. After his service, Mitchell became a police detective and eventually opened a roller rink in Barrie, a place where he and his wife would go on to become local legends.
Brown says she’s often stopped by people who share fond stories about her grandparents. Over time, she realized they weren’t just her family, they were cherished members of an entire community.
But how the locket ended up in a thrift shop remains a bit of a mystery.
According to Brown, some of her grandfather’s personal items were stolen during a teenager-thrown house party around the year 2000. It’s also possible it went missing during a family clear-out in 2010, after Brown’s mother passed away.
Whatever the journey, the locket found its way home.
“Little lost for words,” said Brown. “Just, it’s such a surreal, cool moment. The power of social media doing something good.”
In a heartwarming full-circle moment, Anne and Brown met in person at their local Royal Canadian Legion to hand off the locket and share memories of family, war, history, and fate.
Because sometimes, in the least expected places, kindness and connection unlock stories that have been waiting to come home.
