A painting with a heartfelt Swarthmore College graduation message from 2020 has turned up in a New Jersey thrift store and found new life online, writes Alice Gibbs for Newsweek.
Marina, 37, found the artwork during a regular visit to the 2nd Ave thrift store in Vorhees, New Jersey.
The painting was a landscape, a white bench against a green lawn and tall stone towers.
A message on the back said, “Swarthmore College, Graduation 2020, Made with love, Dad”.
Swarthmore College in Swarthmore had a virtual online graduation ceremony on May 24 that year because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Marina said she was deeply moved by the note.
“I don’t know why it ended up there, but it made me sad. A dad clearly painted this with love for his child’s graduation, and now it’s in a thrift store for $3.99.”
She posted the painting and note on Reddit’s r/ThriftStoreHauls community, where it quickly drew a response. The post has more than 5,300 upvotes and hundreds of comments.
Marina was delighted that people appreciated her thrift store find.
“It’s a reminder that every object has a story, and sometimes, we get a little glimpse into someone else’s love and life, even if just for a moment.”
Read more about the thrift store discovery in Newsweek.
