A woman was taken aback when she stumbled on a precious item at a thrift store, sharing her emotional reaction to it in a viral Instagram reel.

Alyssa Gear is a DIY and thrifting enthusiast who frequently visits second-hand stores. One of her most recent finds, a book that was written from a daughter to her mother, took her by surprise.

“Honestly, at first glance the cover just looked interesting so I grabbed it, I didn’t even realize it was a family memory book,” she told Newsweek. “Opening it I felt almost like I was intruding, like those handwritten memories and pictures should’ve never left the shelf of whatever home claimed such a cute and precious family!”

In her video, which has received over 140,000 views since it was first shared on November 12, 2024, Gear pulls out the book and goes through it, showing the sweet hand-written notes the daughter wrote. Additionally, the book was full of old black and white family photos, giving Gear an insight into this family’s life together.

The book, titled “For My Mother,” features a series of letters with titles like “Things to Remember,” “Family Pets” and “Remember When…”. In the caption of the clip, Gear revealed that it saddens her when she finds things with such “sentimental value” at thrift stores.

She wrote: “It makes you wonder, where are they now? Did they pass? Do their children not care or desire to keep these memories? Was it lost or left somewhere? I had to read through it and just hope that whatever happened, the owner was able to live a long and happy life.”

“I couldn’t stop wondering what happened to the people in the pictures, did they fall out of touch?” she told Newsweek. “Have a fight? Pass away? I honestly can’t imagine getting rid of such a sentimental book written by a daughter to a mother.”

Capital One Shopping Research reveals that 16 to 18 percent of Americans shop at thrift stores each year, buying second-hand clothes mostly, as well as books and furniture.

People flooded Gear’s video with their reactions to the book she found.

“This had to be a mistake,” said @thrifted.lane.

Meanwhile, @heycher suggested: “I have to think this was donated as part of a house clean out and the ‘helpers’ didn’t know what they were doing. This is how heirlooms and valuables end up tossed.”

“I would have bought it to make sure she was still remembered,” said @dnidger.

Have you transformed your house into something you’re proud of? Whether it’s a DIY project or a full-scale renovation, share your success stories with us. Let us know via [email protected], and your dream home could be featured on Newsweek.