Losing a loved one is probably one of the most difficult challenges a person has to endure in a lifetime. It hits you hard when you wake up and realize that someone who was once alive, breathing the same air as you are, is simply gone. All you’re left with are the memories you’ve had with them — fragments of what used to be.
Twitter user Connor West shared an emotional story of his late dad’s obsession with rubber ducks as it used to be his “version of good luck”. It reminded everyone how sometimes the little things that our loved ones left behind have the biggest impact in our lives.
https://twitter.com/ConnorJ_W/status/986418693956689920
According to The Independent, Connor’s dad was diagnosed with cancer in 2007 and had to go on long walks around their town in New Jersey as part of his treatment. During his walks, his dad would often find rubber ducks and bring them home.
The rubber ducks soon became a part of their family where Connor’s dad would hid them or leave them on desks for good luck. Connor said they would even kiss the butt of the rubber ducks for good luck.
Four years after his father’s demise, Connor thought they found all the little rubber ducks his dad had hidden. To his surprise, he recently found one in the back seat cupholder of his car that he has not opened for quite some time.
Connor said that when he moved to college and the family house was sold a year after his father died in 2014, he took with him two of the ducks his dad has found and thought that his mother had taken the other.
People on Twitter got emotional and were moved by Connor’s story.
https://twitter.com/MyLifeAsRay/status/987002435221762048
https://twitter.com/laurenelson33/status/987014335984816130
My eyes burning as I fight back the moisture pic.twitter.com/MhV0DTJF3Z
— Ineligible Bachelor (@CrownUponKings) April 19, 2018
— 🧫Juice🧫 (@karohu_) April 19, 2018
I’m cryin in the club and it wasn’t even my dad😭
— steelyhan (@itssteelyhan) April 19, 2018
https://twitter.com/corless_syd/status/987046918827184128
https://twitter.com/johannkareem/status/987024345426874368
Some are also sharing stories about keeping rubber ducks with them or finding things that their loved ones have left behind and how it brought back memories.
Omg! I have a similar story. I had an elderly neighbor I knew for 19 years that we’d call Papi Pato (duck). We were very close & when he passed away I would see rubber ducks in parking lots until I finally picked one up & put it in my car & after that they stopped appearing.
— v 🔮 (@m0ndaym0rning_) April 19, 2018
https://twitter.com/Vandelex/status/987072161973092352
My daughter was killed a day after her 11th birthday. she always drew hearts everywhere. I’d find hearts in pieces of tape and under neath the counter. My last bday card hand made n signed n now I have it tattooed. This is next. https://t.co/PmiQhrXSdc
— Hurricane E (@Elsadubb) April 19, 2018
https://twitter.com/umjayden/status/987106845952180224
https://twitter.com/Hannah_Loehrke/status/987013920350236672
Crazy- my dad always finds golf balls and leaves them around for HIS version of good luck…. this truly is heartwarming. I hope you are well.
— kt🌞 (@septembersucks) April 19, 2018
https://twitter.com/AlexHMakk/status/987237901732728832
Connor thanked everyone for the positive responses and outpouring support his tweet has gotten. He said he was grateful for all the people who shared their stories and thoughts with him and how he was able to share how great his dad was. He encouraged everyone to do a new act of kindness for someone and “Be someone’s rubber duck.”
https://twitter.com/ConnorJ_W/status/986828328282873856
https://twitter.com/ConnorJ_W/status/987145396135907328
Who knew rubber ducks could make us cry this much?
https://twitter.com/treetachi/status/987051417419599872
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