Thrill Of The Hunt
She was out for the excitement of the chase, but what she discovered was a once-in-a-lifetime deal.
She shrieked as she peered down. Her husband and the employees hurried to assist her, but it was too late. She was stooping down to pick up the perplexing object that was about to flip her life inside out. She had no idea that her life had taken an unanticipated turn and that there was no turning back.
Dig Deeper
It was a beautiful summer's day, there was not a cloud in the sky and it was the perfect day to bargain hunt. One may stumble upon hidden treasure if one would simply peer through all the old clothing and discarded ornaments.
What they discovered would make them extremely wealthy and set the stage for a once-in-a-lifetime adventure.
Guaranteed Bargain
Searching for hidden treasures at The Salvation Army or Goodwill could bring up nostalgic feelings for some. It could also, however, make one feel on top of the world if they discover something incredibly valuable. A bargain is always guaranteed for them.
It was pensioner's day, so prices were remarkably cheaper. The thought of finding an unique item for dirt cheap excited her. So, what treasure did she discover?
Trying Their Luck
Julie Anne and her Mike, her husband, thought to try and find some special items at Goodwill located in Jupiter, Florida. The pair immediately started picking apart the store as soon as they arrived.
Julie thoroughly enjoyed looked for trinkets. She spotted something hidden on the shelve and her face turned pale. She understood the value of this item, but could not get herself to grab it.
Hidden On The Shelf
Julie could not break her stare with the item. She was stunned! A cashier rushed over as she thought Julie might be injured.
They were both looking at the seemingly worthless item, and Julie shared some background information on the baseball glove to the cashier. The cashier had a very difficult time believing what Julie shared and could not comprehend the importance of this glove.
On The Surface
This baseball glove had a distinctive dark leather patina that now looked like sand. What was once a gloss had faded but there was a name written in a familiar handwriting with a Sharpie.
Confusion spread all over her face as she inspected the name that was written on the side of the glove. The hair on the back of her neck started to raise... She could not believe it.
Sharing Her Find
Julie Anne eventually found the strength to pick up the glove. She waved her husband over to share her remarkable discovery with him. "Christopher Lisi" was written all over the glove, clear as day.
“My knees got wobbly, and I got weak and scared,” she shared. However, why was this name so significant for Julie Anne?
Familiar Find
Mike came as quick as he could, fearing that his wife might have hurt herself. When he spotted the glove in her hand he shortly forgot about his concerns. Excitement spread all over his face.
He knew exactly what that glove was as he had seen it 40 years before. He could not believe that he was staring at it once again.
Profound Meaning
An unforgettable name was written on the baseball mitt. The name had sentimental meaning to Julie and her husband. The name was her son's, and it was written in her very own handwriting. She had trouble believing that this was the glove she had given to her son many years ago.
There was no way that this could be the same mitt, but what if it was?
Coming From Far
This mitt had travelled over a thousand miles all the way from Ohio to Jupiter, Florida.
Goodwill occasionally moves stock around if they believe that the product has an increased chance of being purchased at another branch.
Special Meaning
Julie immediately got Mike to take a photo of her holding the worn mitt with the name inscribed on it facing outward for the world to see.
She sent it instantly to her son, the very same Christopher who had lost it but never told his parents some 40 odd years ago. “He texted back, ‘Buy it,’” Julie said.
Championship Game
It turns out that it was a very special mitt for Christopher too. He just couldn’t bring himself to tell his parents that he had lost the special mitt that was like a lucky charm when he played.
He’d hit two home runs that game, a Championship game back in 1978 when he was only twelve years old.
Lost In The Confusion
Mike now says that Chris told him he had lost the glove after the game in all the confusion and elation of winning and he hadn’t seen it since.
“He had won the championship and in the hullaballoo and the handing out of trophies he probably set it down on a bench and somebody walked away with it,” Mike said.
Make A Donation
The biggest question on everyone’s mind now was how did the 40-year-old mitt end up specifically at the Jupiter Goodwill?
Julie is an avid believer in donations, and over the years she had donated mostly books to Goodwill, but she knows that that was not in Jupiter, so it surely wasn’t her, was it?
A Young Family
Their longtime house was in Ohio, that was where they had raised a family and where all the clutter that Julie would have been able to donate came from.
Julie Anne hopes to figure out how exactly the glove made its way down the country.“To me, it’s a miracle,” Julie Anne said
Never In A Million Years
Julie and Mike have long since moved to a retirement home in Florida and never brought all the clutter from the house with them from Ohio.
Never in a million years could anyone believe that this couple would be in this particular store to happen upon this time traveling treasure and the facts make it even more unbelievable.
Sports Still In His Blood
The time capsule glove is over 40 years old and Christopher Lisi of 1978 was 12 when he won that championship.
He is now 52-years-old and he also coaches, no not baseball, but rather football at Thomas Worthington High School, south of Columbus.
Priceless
At the end of the day, how could you ever put a price tag on such an amazing experience? A keepsake with your own sons’ name written on it lands directly in a mother’s open hands.
But in the end, they did have to pay something for it and they would spend every last penny to have it.
The Bargain Of A Lifetime
A whopping $1.49 was the amount that cashier Sue Rounds rung up at the till. Julie Anne says, “I would have paid $149 for it!””It cost us a buck 49!” Mike laughs.
Mike must be right, someone must have picked up Christopher’s glove after he lost it and simply donated it to the goodwill and it’s been on its travels ever since.
Tracking Down The Donor
The story of pure serendipity quickly spread, and soon, Julie was contacted by local broadcaster WPTV. They wanted to do a story on the miraculous discovery of Chris’ missing baseball mitt because it was so unbelievable.
In the interview, Julie said that she would like nothing more than to find out who had donated the mitt to Goodwill so she could thank them personally, but there was a problem.
No Information
Unfortunately, the charity store does not take down the contact details of the people who donate, so Julie had no leads. The mystery of who donated it would remain a mystery… for now.
Nevertheless, Julie was beyond ecstatic that the family heirloom had managed to work its way back to its rightful owner.
A Family Heirloom
Julie was so grateful to find something that her son had cherished so much once – and she loved the sweet nostalgia it awoke in her.
She could see the memory of her 12-year-old son’s spectacular game so clearly, it felt like magic. But how did Chris feel about the amazing story?
Grateful
Chris was overjoyed when he received the old glove mitt – it reminded him of those happy days in his youth.
The mitt had meant so much to him as a child, and finally being reunited with it again meant so much to him. And, the fact that it had come back to him so spectacularly made him cherish it all the more.
Twist Of Fate
There was no way Julie could have known what she’d find while perusing the charity store that day – the chances of her finding something that had been lost more than 40 years ago was by complete chance, but she thinks it was fate.
After all, the odds are nearly impossible. Although the old mitt had cost her just $1.59, it’s true value was priceless.
Making Its Way Back
It took forty years and 1,171 miles for this, now a sacred family heirloom, to finally make its way home.
Some things just belong and this priceless childhood memorabilia will still pass down in the family’s history and no doubt see a fair bit more travel before it’s time is up.