BEAUTIFUL STORY!!!!

DPBOB

Silver Member
Apr 12, 2006
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DES PLAINES IL
Detector(s) used
AVATAR: MY Wife Saying....




"Your going Metal Detecting
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I found this on WHITES FORUM>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>5-30-06

This was posted in the XTerra Forum. I thought it was worth posting here.

It's not often we get a chance to do something as wonderful as this, and it made my day, just to read about it. Please, read on....

Digging in the park .... long post
Posted by: Mike Bearden <Send a PM> (IP Logged)
Posts: 344
Date: Today, 09:18AM


Have you ever had one of those day's that are just plain strange to the point that it makes you sit and THINK about where or why we choose the spots we do to hunt ?
Well yesterday was one of those I won't forget anytime soon !
I've been doing more bass fishing lately than detecting but the wind has been blowing so hard on the lake I decided to go dirt fishing.
The main public park area of Lake Guntersville is probably 2-3 miles long and averages from anywhere to 200' to 700' deep from the parking lots to the waters edge.
I've been concentrating mainly on the BIG TREE areas where the most shade is and completely ignored one out of the way spot because it's usually to overgrown to detect. It's a small island of sorts with one HUGE Oak and a pic-nic table separated by 3 natural drainage ditches and I'd bet that it has to cut by weed eaters.
Anyway, the park has a long paved walking trail that stretches the entire length (probably 3 miles) and lot's of folks walk it on a daily basis from every age group.
Well yesterday I found this small area had been cut and cleaned, a new trash can and BBQ grill put up so I decided to give it a go.
I hunted in all metal,pulled the usual trash for 30 minutes and a few keeper coins and thought I'd gotten most of it, put the 70 in prospecting mode and hit a deep IH and merc together.
I couldn't help but notice an elderly lady watching me from a distance, she stayed there the entire time sitting on another park bench just watching. On my last signal I dug one of those Irish heart rings that has 2 hands clasping together, it was 14K with 2 small diamonds, one inside each hand. I cleaned it off and noticed an inscription inside the band that read ( To my loving Rosie).
As I walked towards the parking lot she spoke to me and said she was glad to see the park service had finally cleaned up that area.
We sat and talked for quite awhile, she told me about her husbands affiliation with the park and how this was his & her favorite spot to sit and watch the geese for the last 40 years of his life.
With a mixed southern drawl and a still notable Irish accent in her voice she spoke of a ring he gave her before he passed away.
I decided a long time ago that if you LISTEN to old folks, well you just might learn something !
She told me all about Ireland and how she met her husband to be as a young girl during the war and all about coming to America. Then she filled me in on how that old park bench was put there by her husband, it was the first one for the park. After his death she sold her home and moved into an assisted living place where some of her friends live.
I guess our conversation went on for well over an hour but she NEVER asked me if I found her ring or told me her name !
I told her how much of a pleasure it was meeting her and that I needed to be going, she reached out with her nimble hand and grasped the end of my fingers on my left hand as if I was an old friend saying goodbye for the last time.
She didn't know it but I had already reached in my pouch and had the ring cupped in my hand. As she held onto my hand I told her again .... Rosie it was a pleasure, I rolled my right hand around and uncupped the ring. She still hadn't seen the ring and had a blank but smiling look of wonder on her face. She said, how do you know my name ... but still smiling. I raised the ring up at eye level and said this has to belong to YOU
I can't express in words the JOY this brought to the conversation. She was overcome with it, it did my heart good just to watch the look on her face when I placed the ring in her hand.
Rosie starred at the ring for what seemed like forever and cried like a baby, she nervously slid it on her finger thanking me over and over again for finding it.
I only wish I had my taken camera with me but as always I never seem to have the foresight to keep it handy. But rest assured the image of her kind face will stick with me forever.
As I sat at home last night I couldn't help but wonder the amazing possibilities of how everything unfolded. I came to one conclusion, this hobby never ceases to make me happy!

H.H.
Mike
 

Upvote 0
I read this on another forum. There were scores of responses to this beautiful story.
There are some stories that just make your day and this is one of them.


George
 

Great story. That is what this hobby is all about. If you can help someone, then do it.
Rosie will be happy the rest of her days. Great job.
 

NO, stop dont look at me ,NO ,i got something in my eye ............... :'( WOW
 

Wow, what a great read. Thanks for posting this inspirational story. This is a great example of the goodness and down to earth qualities most of us Th'ers have. Unfortunately, sometimes the negative aspects of this thing we do get exploited more often than not, Great to see one on the other side of the spectrum.

Smiles!
BDoo
 

This is what our hobby is all about ! I hope I am lucky enough to do that one day!

Mike in SC
 

Stories like this drive me on, I can only hope of someday making someones day like that! Thanks for posting that Bob.
 

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I thought this was a wonderful story to share with this site . It gives me hope that someday I can return a ring..(like my father, god rest his soul, did. the ring he found was lost for 35 years)
 

OK.....I'll admit it.....I'm a cry baby! :'(

Oh my goodness....what a story! ....I love detecting....I love this story....

Thanks for sharing Bob!

Nana ;)
 

that is pretty awesome....

on another note i need to find out who this guy is and see if he wants to hunt together sometimes as i only live about 20 minutes from the park he is talking about.

did i mention that was pretty awesome
 

:) ;)
 

Wow. This story really touched me because I live in Huntsville and spend all my free time at my lake house in Guntersville. fav. place in the world. What a great story. Its hard to belieave that was just a coincidence.
 

thank you for boosting this story...i had forgotten about it until now.....that made my heart smile picturing that lovely old lady as the old memories flooded back to her....great job
 

Wow! Had to dry the eyes before I could read all the responses. Situations like this can't be just a coincidence. How could everything come together like that but for some higher power.

Congrats to both the finder and to Rosie. That is truly a "best find"
 

Thought I would bring it back to life again
 

:)
 

Wow... Incredible. The older I get, the more "one in a billion" things I see happen. Theres always a reason for things happening the way they do.


I'm not cryin..... it's just my allergies ;) :'(
 

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