Woman Buys Late Grandfather’s Car, Finds Heartbreaking Keepsake Inside

Sometimes memories of lost loved ones come to us in unexpected ways: through a recording device built into a car from 2003, for example.

A video posted to TikTok by Julie (@juliannaharveyx) has gone viral after she revealed the heartwarming memory she found when she bought her grandparents’ car: a recording she made of herself and her grandfather, which she called “pop-pop.” Since being posted on July 21, the clip has been viewed more than 889,000 times and received more than 224,000 likes.

“My grandfather passed away in December 2022 and I recently bought my grandparents car and found this recording of us from almost 20 years ago,” she captioned the video.

The recording device was built into the car, which Julie revealed was a 2003 Cadillac CTS, and attached to the sun visor.

“Is that you, Julie? Did you want to talk to Daddy-Daddy while we were driving?” Julie’s grandfather asked in the recording. “Okay, let’s listen to your message then.”

Julie hesitated, and her grandfather continued, “The cat took your tongue, you forgot how to speak, didn’t you?”

Although Julie’s message to her grandfather was not fully realized, the recording highlights her grandfather more than her, making it an even more meaningful keepsake as it shows his character and sense of humor.

People in the comments were touched by the recording and how Julie stumbled upon such a visceral discovery.

“You’re so lucky to have this, man. My dad passed away 11 years ago, and I realized 3 years ago that I don’t remember his voice,” wrote @yawa0n047. “It broke my heart, why wouldn’t it be me? But I still remember his whistle.”

“Isn’t it funny how back then you wanted to send a message with your daddy-daddy but didn’t know why,” @wwwwdoth posted. “And then you find out this.”

“Almost every day I listen to my grandmother’s voicemails,” @inthelifeofajay commented. “It’s been a long time since anyone told me they were proud of me or that I was doing good for myself and my family. I really miss her.”

People have revealed how they cling to audio memories, in particular, writing that they replay voicemails and voice memos to keep their departed loved ones close: “I found a recording of my last New Year’s Eve with my grandpa and at the very end of the countdown he calls my name. It’s like time travel. So much love,” wrote @albaetc.

Even though Julie’s inherited car is old, some offered helpful tips for preserving memories even when the car breaks down. Others simply offered words of comfort.

“If you ever have to get rid of the car, remove this piece and keep it. You can power it with a 12 volt battery/power supply and listen to the recording,” wrote @sterlingeclectica.

“He loved you so much, honey. You can hear it in his voice,” @retrotechgirl posted. “I’m so sorry. He’s here with you.”

Newsweek I reached out to @juliannaharveyx for comment via TikTok.