This Man Held On To His Ex’s Gift For Half A Century Before Opening It

Life 4/17/24

Many of us remember our high school sweethearts well into adulthood, but we don't usually hold on to a gift they gave us for several decades. At the very least, we don't often keep their gift unopened for half a century. That's what Adrian Pearce decided to do after his former girlfriend ended their relationship just before Christmas in the late '70s. Read on to find out what compelled Adrian to hold on to the present for so long, and what he discovered when he finally opened it.

A Young Man From Ontario

Adrian is pictured as a young teen who had yet to meet Vicki.

@unopenedpresent/Facebook

This is Adrian Pearce when he was a teenager in the 1970s. At the time, he attended George S. Henry Secondary School in Toronto, Ontario. Like most teenage boys, he enjoyed spending time with prospective love interests.

Adrian ended up spending most of his time in high school without being in a serious relationship. It wasn't until his senior year that he would meet a girl he felt strongly for, and her name was Vicki Allen.

His First Serious Relationship

An old photograph shows Adrian with his arm around Vicki.

Adrian Mike Pearce/Facebook

This photograph shows what a quintessential '70s couple Adrian and Vicki looked like. He has his longer hair combed to the side and a modest beard; she has long, straight hair and circular glasses.

Adrian was 17-years-old and Vicki was 15-years-old at the time. Neither had experienced a relationship quite like this. They were about to spend their first holiday season together in 1971, and Adrian was on the prowl for the perfect gift. As it turned out, Vicki had already picked out Adrian's gift.

A Bittersweet Goodbye

Young Adrian is pictured next to the unopened present.

@unopenedpresent/Facebook

Vicki gave Adrian his Christmas gift early since she had some news that would mean the end of the road for the pair just before the holiday. She told Adrian that she wanted to break up.

The news surprised the young man, but he had to respect her wishes. Though he had no control over their relationship ending, he did have a choice about what to do with her present. He decided to leave it unopened.

He Formed A New Holiday Tradition

An old photo of Adrian and Vicki is fixed to the unopened present.

@unopenedpresent/Facebook

While some teenage boys would react aggressively to their high school sweetheart abruptly ending things, Adrian took the high road. He decided to keep Vicki's present and the photograph the pair took together.

He kept them as mementos, and even left the gift untouched. Rather than opening it, he preserved the anticipation of what may be inside by placing it under the Christmas tree until he was ready to open it. Each year, he resisted the urge to open it. Thus, a tradition was born.

Coming up, get ready to meet the woman who changed it all around for Adrian.

He Vowed Never To Open It

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Though Adrian was taking the breakup relatively well, he was hurt at what happened. He didn't want the relationship to end, and it had put a major damper on his Christmas.

He recalled telling his family that he would never open the gift. While that vow may have been fueled by anger at first, it was a promise he ended up keeping for years to come. Each holiday season, he'd put the present under the tree only to refuse to open it once again.

The Woman Of His Dreams

Janet jokingly pulls on Adrian's beard back in the '70s.

Adrian Mike Pearce/Facebook

Eventually, Adrian did move on from Vicki. He met this lovely lady, whose name is Janet. In this photograph, Adrian is making a funny face while Janet pulls his beard hair. You can tell by the energy of this photo that the two were good friends.

As they say, the best relationship is one with your best friend. Sure enough, it became obvious that Janet was the one for Adrian. Despite their newfound joy, Adrian kept up his tradition of putting Vicki's present under the Christmas tree.

Adrian Became A Family Man

Janet and Adrian pose in front of a house in the '70s.

Adrian Mike Pearce/Facebook

Adrian and Janet got married and had children. The had settled into their American dream, but not even that could break Adrian of his unusual habit of holding onto Vicki's present.

As you may have predicted, Janet started to worry about Adrian. She wasn't concerned that something was still going on between him and Vicki. After all, their relationship was mild in comparison to what he had with Janet. Still, she had to bring it up to him.

For Janet, Enough Had Been Enough

A recent photo shows Janet kissing Adrian on the cheek.

Adrian Mike Pearce/Facebook

Decades passed before Janet finally told Adrian how she felt. It was clear that they had a strong and lasting marriage, so it baffled her why he wanted to hold on to his former girlfriend's unopened present.

For her own sake and his, she needed to know why he had held onto it for all this time. She came to him from a genuine place of concern, and Adrian decided that it was high time to dig a little deeper into his unusual habit.

What Adrian did next had a major impact on the next few years of his life.

Adrian Had Some Explaining To Do

Two men have a conversation outside on a bench.

Belinda Fewings/Unsplash

Janet wasn't the only one whose curiosity had surmounted over the years; some of Adrian's other family members and close friends were growing concerned, as well. He opened up to them about why he held on to it.

He explained that the gift reminded him of his teenage days. It had become a symbol of sweet innocence and young love. It brought up nostalgic feelings like a teddy bear might. But explaining these things wasn't enough.

Adrian Took To Social Media

Luka Bieri/Pixabay

Though Adrian agreed to stop putting the present under the tree at Christmas, he still would dig it up around the holidays to bring up those feelings of nostalgia. He decided to take to social media to explain his predicament.

He explained the entire story to his followers on Facebook. From the breakup to the tradition to the reasons why he felt so attached to this unopened gift, he revealed it all in that post. He even spilled a surprising detail about the breakup.

Adrian's Most Went Viral

Adrian Mike Pearce/Facebook

Adrian revealed the details of his tradition, including why the couple had broken up in the first place. As it turned out, she had left him for someone else-- a boy named Wolf who she fondly called Wolfie.

Suddenly it all made much more sense. It seemed that Adrian had been preserving his innocence by using the mysterious gift as a sort of shield from the reality of what had happened. The story touched many people, and before long his post had gone viral.

Adrian Decided To Find Vicki

Adrian Mike Pearce/Facebook

All of the attention Adrian received from his post had exacerbated the ordeal, rather than squashing it for good. People wanted to know what the gift would reveal so they could have a conclusion to the story they suddenly found themselves wrapped up in.

Adrian decided it was time to open the present, but he had one stipulation. He wanted to find Vicki so that the two could open it together. It seemed like just what he needed to finally achieve closure.

Next, things started to get a little complicated when this happened.

Women Began Impersonating Vicki

Bartek Zakrzewski/Pixabay

Adrian's story got so popular that news outlets began covering it. This attracted even more followers to his Facebook page, some of whom wanted to pretend that they were the Vicki he was looking for.

Adrian cleverly tested these impersonators' claims by asking them questions he knew that only the true Vicki would know. Since none of them could answer, his search continued. All of the hype continued to push Adrian to find the woman he used to know.

An Old Journal Held Promising Contact Information

Adrian Mike Pearce/Facebook

The first place Adrian knew he could look in his quest for Vicki was his old journals. He recalled a time when he was a student at Humber College and ran into Vicki's sister.

This was back in 1977, six years after the young couple had broken up. Her sister had given Adrian a few phone numbers, so he tried them all. Unfortunately, none of the phone numbers lead him to Vicki. He was going to have to search further.

He Took To The Internet For Help

Adrian Mike Pearce/Facebook

The next logical step was to check the internet. He searched for Vicki's name and found contact information that seemed promising, at first. He contacted the woman, but then discovered that she was not the Vicki he had been looking for.

This woman had been living in Kelowna, British Columbia, and was in her 90s. While Vicki could have moved since her high school days, she certainly wasn't 91-years-old. The search was to no avail, after all.

Up next, the search finally came to a head.

Vicki Discovered The News On Social Media

Chris Jackson/Getty Images

While Adrian was searching for Vicki, the news continued to circulate around social media. More and more people became engaged in his story, especially after he had started actively looking for her.

Eventually, one of Adrian's long lost high school friends caught wind of the story. He had kept in contact with Vicki through Facebook and sent her a link to the story. She reached out to Adrian and they arranged to meet, along with Adrian's wife, Janet.

Reunited After All These Years

@unopenedpresent/Facebook

Adrian and Janet headed to British Columbia to meet Vicki in 2018. It had been nearly half a century since Adrian had last seen his high school sweetheart, and the two embraced and were all smiles.

He introduced her to his wife and they all had a joyful meeting. Vicki admitted that she was shocked he still had the present, and the three of them decided that it was finally time for Adrian to see what was inside.

They Used The Event To Raise Money

@unopenedpresent/Facebook

Not only did they decide that it was time to finally open the present, but they also hatched another plan. Since the heartfelt tale was so popular on social media, they figured they would broadcast the reunion.

They wanted to use their newfound fame to promote a cause, so they decided to open the present on television and to sponsor a benefit for a Christmas charity organization. This way, everyone could benefit from their incredible story.

Up next, Vicki revealed an important detail to the world.

Vicki Told Her Side Of The Story

Adrian Mike Pearce/Facebook

Vicki took the opportunity to be frank with all of the people who had been following the story of her and Adrian. She not only told her side, but revealed information that some would have preferred to keep a secret.

She bravely told the camera why exactly she had chosen to break up with Adrian all those years ago. It turns out, she had feelings for Wolf while she was still with Adrian. Wolf eventually went ahead and kissed her, and her guilt made her feel she had to end the relationship.

Adrian Didn't Have Any Hard Feelings

Adrian and Vicki get interviewed by several cameramen.

Adrian Mike Pearce/Facebook

Though Vicki felt terrible at the time, that may have had something to do with the fact she was only 15-years-old when it all happened. Looking back, both she and Adrian could see that her transgression was relatively harmless.

Ultimately, she had spared Adrian since the pair clearly wasn't meant to be and he went on to find Janet not long after. Still, it was touching that Vicki was so honest and that the two could finally reveal everything not only to the world but also to one another.

Johnny Winter Was Adrian's Breakup Musician

Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

Vicki wasn't the only one who gained the nerve to admit something about their breakup. Adrian admitted on his Facebook that '70s rocker Johnny Winter was the artist who got him through their breakup.

He admitted that the song "Be Careful With A Fool" described the feeling he had gone through all those years ago. Though it was so many decades ago, he could still remember how his teenage self had coped and wasn't too proud to admit it.

Next, let's see at last what the gift was.

The Gift Was Finally Revealed To Be A Book About Love

Adrian Mike Pearce/Facebook

After all of these years, it was finally time to open the gift Adrian had help onto for almost half a century. Rather than opening it himself, he insisted that Vicki do it. She did so but grew deeply embarrassed when she discover what it was.

It was a book called Love Is: New Ways To Spot That Certain Feeling. The book was a collection of comic strips by author Kim Grove and was inspired by letters Kim had written to her husband.

Adrian And Vicki Concluded It Was Still Special

Adrian smiles while holding the opened gift.

Adrian Mike Pearce/Facebook

Vicki was initially mortified at the gift, especially since she thought it would have been an Archie comic strip. She recognized that she had been insensitive to Adrian's feelings all those years ago.

Still, the two concluded that it was a meaningful gift in its own right. It was as though Adrian knew that he needed to hold on to the gift so that its meaning wouldn't be lost. Having the reveal in this way gave the gift meaning that suited the love theme of the book.

Vicki And Adrian Discovered A Friendship

Adrian, Janet, and Vicki chat around a table.

Adrian Mike Pearce/Facebook

Vicki admitted that she had never viewed her and Adrian's relationship as deeply as he had. While that may have been a blow to Adrian in their teens, he could take it lightheartedly now since he had the love of his life, Janet, to show for it all.

Additionally, the breakup had lead to a meaningful reunion over a gift he knew he shouldn't let go of. The pair mended their past by creating a friendship.

Next, the reunion had a big payoff for charity.

The Proceeds Went Towards Children's Gifts

Adrian Mike Pearce/Facebook

The night ended positively as the old-couple-turned-new-friends made amends. Adrian decided he would hold on to the book and even frame it with the wrapping as a keepsake. But the cherry on top was all the money they raised for the Christmas Bureau of Edmonton.

In this photo, Adrian is holding up all of the Canadian cash they had raised, a decent sum that would go towards buying Christmas gifts for impoverished children. The event had turned into a story about using your experience to give to others.

Adrian Turned The Story Into A Book

Adrian's book appears on a shelf below a

Adrian Mike Pearce/Facebook

Throughout this entire process, Adrian had been writing a book about the experience. He titled it The 47 Year Old Present and filled it with his thoughts on the ordeal and why he had felt compelled to hold on to the present all this time.

Janet and Vicki even contributed to the book, writing in chapters about their perspective. Adrian later added in details about the aftermath of the gift unwrapping ceremony and how it contributed to a good cause.

Coming up, this book isn't the only project Adrian has been working on regarding the gift.

The Story Is Being Turned Into A Documentary

Adrian sits in front of a rolling camera.

@the47yearoldpresent/Instagram

Adrian decided to not only take his story to the bookshelves, but also to the big screen! In addition to loving to write, he also enjoys working as a cameraman. He decided to take on the task of turning the story into a documentary.

In addition to footage of himself, Adrian hopes to interview others who were involved, such as Janet and Vicki. Since the present reveal was televised, it's possible he could obtain some of that footage, as well.

Adrian's Next Book With Be About Being A Cameraman

Adrian Mike Pearce/Facebook

Adrian posted on his Facebook that he had read 43 books in a single year, so it isn't surprising that he wanted to write his own. He isn't stopping at one, though. The next book he's planning is about his experience as a cameraman.

In addition to reading frequently, Adrian goes to writing workshops to learn more about the craft. He's managed to turn his unique story into a creative outlet in more ways than one!

Janet Is The Ultimate Partner

Janet and Adrian pose together wearing matching plaid.

Adrian Mike Pearce/Facebook

Through all of these projects stemming from Vicki's gift, Janet has remained strong as a supportive and loving partner. Her loyalty hasn't gone unnoticed by Adrian, who acknowledged his wife in a Facebook post.

He shared a photograph of he and Janet circa 1972, only one year after his relationship with Vicki had ended. Though he held on to the gift, it didn't take long for Adrian to move on and find the woman he'd spend his life with.

The Story Had A Happy Ending Of Its Own

A silhouette shows a couple reaching a hand to one another while riding a bike.

Everton Vila/Unsplash

Adrian's story of the unopened gift rose to international interest, having been reported in Canada, the UK, and the US. Perhaps part of its success can be chucked up to it being a relatively happy breakup story.

Though Adrian had a moment of heartache in his teen years, he found Janet shortly after and cultivated a life with her. In the end, Janet, Adrian, and Vicki were all able to come together to not only reveal the 47-year-old gift but also to help provide gifts to others.

The holiday season brings with it times of joy, laughter, and celebration. It’s also a time known to stir up a miracle or two. That’s exactly what happened for a woman from Massachusetts who found something unexpected in a local thrift store. She bought what she thought was a normal ornament, but it turned out to be so much more.

The $2 Ornament Caught Her Eye

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This is Priscilla Bailey, a woman who was living in Plymouth, Massachusetts when she found an ornament that caught her eye at a local thrift store. She noticed that the ornament was being sold for the low, low price of two American dollars. Priscilla thought that was a pretty good deal, so she decided to buy the ornament right there and then.

It wasn't until she got it home that she noticed that there was something unusual about it.

The secret was inside the ornament.

Something Strange Inside

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Priscilla had been shopping at that thrift store before. She liked thrift shopping because she would almost always find unique, beautiful items for a fraction of the price that they would be in a normal retail store. She would often pop into thrift stores in her area whenever she was out and about running errands.

Even though Priscilla was a veteran thrift shopper, she had no idea that she had stumbled across something really special.

Once she realized what it was, she didn't know whether she should call the media or the police.

How She Found Her Ornament

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The ornament that Priscilla bought was just sitting on a thrift store shelf alongside other blown glass items that were for sale. Priscilla really likes glass ornaments and this particular ornament was in her favorite color— blue.

When Priscilla picked up the item, she noticed the price tag stuck to the bottom of it that indicated that the ornament would only cost her $2. Priscilla jumped at the chance to own the gorgeous ornament for such a low price.

Was The Price Too Low?

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Thrift stores are known to have very good prices, but $2 for a blown glass ornament seems like a very low price even for a thrift store. What was the catch? Priscilla inspected the ornament to see if there was anything wrong with it, but as far as she could tell, it seemed perfectly fine.

It also had quite a bit of weight to it, made with care and plenty of glass so it wasn't brittle or extremely fragile.

It wasn't until she inspected it further that she realized the truth.

Taking Her Treasure Home

YouTube/CBS News

When Priscilla got home with her new ornament, she unwrapped her found treasure and started to examine it more closely.

Taking a closer look at the metalwork, Priscilla wondered if the design was angels or something else. There must be a story to this piece. All previously owned items come with such great stories. Priscilla held the item in her hands, flipped it around, and admired the blue glass. it really was a beautiful and enchanting piece.

Heavier Than She Expected

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While Priscilla was holding the ornament in her hands, she noticed that it was heavier than she expected it to be. She was no ornament expert, but she had held a fair amount of glass ornaments in her life. She could tell that this particular ornament had a bit more weight to it.

Priscilla ignored the surprising heaviness of the ornament fo the time being and decided to display her find in her kitchen. It wasn't until later, when her daughter came over, that she realized she had overlooked an important detail.

Her Daughter's Discovery

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This is a photo of Priscilla's daughter, Kat. Kat also loved blown glass ornaments, so she was excited when her mother showed her the ornament she had found at the thrift store. Kat loved blown glass so much that she dreamed of opening her own blown glass store in Massachusetts.

Priscilla didn’t mention the strange weight of the ornament to Kat, but even so, Kat noticed that there was something strange about this particular glass ornament.

Would Kat notice something odd?

What Was Different About It?

YouTube/CBS News

Kat thought that the heart-shaped ornament was absolutely beautiful. She gently took the ornament off the wall to take a closer look. She too, noticed that it was heavier than she expected. She mentioned this observation to her mother, who admitted that she also thought that the ornament was abnormally heavy.

Kat had an idea. She went to find a flashlight so that she could see if there was anything inside the ornament. That light would soon reveal something incredible.

What Was Inside?

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Priscilla thought that using a flashlight to look inside of the ornament was an excellent idea. When they first shone the flashlight through the ornament, they didn't see anything unusual, but then, they saw that there was something inside the ornament that was moving around.

Using the light, Priscilla and Kat discovered that there were actually two secret compartments inside the ornament. Something was moving in the smaller compartment. Priscilla desperately wanted to know what was inside.

That's when she called the police and the media.

Reaching Out For Help

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Priscilla and Kat decided that they needed an expert to help them get to the bottom of this mystery. Priscilla decided to call the local authorities and let them inspect her item. Maybe whatever was inside was dangerous or illegal.

Priscilla also called the Boston Globe and invited news reporters over to her house to see what they thought about the mysterious two-dollar thrift store ornament. Even though Priscilla didn't know what was inside the ornament yet, she had a feeling it was going to be interesting.

Not An Ordinary Ornament

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YouTube/CBS News

The news reporters showed up at Priscilla's house first, and she told them everything that she knew about it. Sitting around her kitchen table, Priscilla told the reporters, "Right now, it’s hanging up there when I do my dishes. I sometimes stare at it."

Not knowing what to expect, the reporters were just as intrigued as Priscilla when she handed over the ornament for them to inspect themselves. It was immediately clear that this held much more meaning than a simple Christmas tree ornament.

Something Powdery, Perhaps?

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Then, Priscilla and Kat showed the reporters how they noticed that there were two hidden compartments inside of the glass ornament. As they had before, Priscilla held up the ornament while Kat shined a light on it, revealing the contents inside.

Kat explained to the reporters what she thought it was. "I said to her, 'it looks like it's ashes, Mom.'" But even if it were, the mystery remains as to whose they were, and how they ended up at a thrift store.

What If It Was Ashes?

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There was no doubt that the ornament was beautiful. And if they contained ashes inside, it would make sense why it was so carefully made with stunning detail. But the two women had also been shaking the ornament, not knowing it was ashes inside.

They wondered if they were disrespecting the ashes, or even if she wanted this in her home if they were in fact ashes of someone's relative.

What To Do

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At first, she was weirded out by the concept that she had someone else's ashes in her home, and that she had been handling the ornament that contained them so many times. That was a bit unsettling.

But thinking about it further, she had empathy for the person whose ashes they were, and the family members that would want to hold onto such a precious item. How did it end up at the thrift store? Priscilla knew that she had to do something about it.

Giving It Back To Its Rightful Owner

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Priscilla decided that she would do whatever she could in order to find the proper person to hand off the ornament to. She was hoping that the news media could help her find the relatives who mistakenly gave the item away to the thrift store. If not, she had to find another way.

She told the reporters, "It's beautiful. It must have a story. So that’s my goal: to find out where and who this belongs to." She had also notified the police, but still, she didn’t feel like she was any closer to finding any answers.

Getting The Word Out

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After the news media left her Plymouth home, Priscilla and Kat decided that they should hold onto the glass ornament until they figured out who to return it to. They hoped that the news story would pick up steam, and someone would know who to return it to.

The women also had another idea: share the story on Facebook and see if they could reach anyone who might know something through social media.

Using Social Media

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Along with a close-up photo of the blue glass ornament, Kat shared the story of how she and her mother ended up with it. She shared, "It breaks my heart that this was tossed away and just sitting on a shelf at Savers for $2."

She asked for anyone who might know anything about it to get a hold of her so that the mother and daughter could properly return it in safe care.

And then the unexpected happened… someone replied!

Another Special Ornament

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Priscilla had also contacted the store she purchased it from, Savers, and let them know of her find. The store's manager said that the majority of their donations were from residents in the area, so there was a good chance whoever donated the ornament lived around Plymouth.

That’s when a local woman named Connie Whiteman Slate commented on Kat’s post, "Please let me know what you find out as I have one also. Found mine at a thrift shop too! It’s heavy in weight."

And another…

Could There Be Two?

Facebook/Connie Whiteman Slatt

The conversation on the Facebook post continued, as someone else commented that she had one too. A woman replied that she had found a similar ornament at a thrift store, but in the Pacific Northwest. She described it, "Mine was iridescent and heart-shaped like this one, but much less ornament and more suncatcher-like."

Then, she included some information about the contents of the ornament that the women hadn't heard before. She said, “It was made from the ash of Mt. Saint Helen.”

Theories Started To Emerge

Facebook/Connie Whiteman Slatt

The woman who knew the origins of the ashes within her ornament replied back, "This could also explain what appears to be ashes enclosed within… could be a possibility."

All this time, Priscilla and Kat believed that the ornament held a person's ashes like an urn. They hadn’t considered the possibility that the ashes originated from something else. The two women didn’t receive a confirmed answer, but with the Facebook post still going viral, there’s a chance the truth will reveal itself.