Through this Secret Santa gift, Lindsey fulfilled the promise she made to herself when she was just 7 years old.
Lindsey Moore was only 7 or 8 years old when she watched her father, Ted Lawver, walk into a comic book store to sell his cherished Dan Marino NFL rookie card. It may have been just another card to some, but for Ted, it was a sacrifice to pay bills, and Lindsey was determined to get it back for him one day. That day finally came three decades later, on Christmas Eve. In November 2023, Lindsey shared a video on TikTok (@lindseyswagmom) capturing the heartwarming moment she surprised her dad with a Marino rookie card as a Secret Santa gift, according to PEOPLE.
The heartwarming video shows Lindsey’s dad holding a Christmas greeting card she had gotten for him. Another family member takes the card and begins reading it aloud. “This was one of my most vivid childhood memories how I remember it,” the message on the card’s inner flap reads, “Money was tight, so you were selling your most prized possession. In the moment, I felt your sacrifice and it taught me that I would do whatever was necessary to ensure my future family ever needed anything. It was a lesson that stuck with me since that moment,” Moore's message continues. “It taught me the value of the greater good.”
"I knew I would work hard to repay you. I will never be able to fully repay that debt. Seven-year-old me would be so elated to see that I finally fulfilled that promise I made to myself. Thank you for everything. I love you.” The card was signed as "Linny," which is Moore's childhood nickname, according to PEOPLE.
Smiling, Ted removes his glasses and picks up a brown paper bag from the floor. The small bag features a Christmas tree stamped onto it in green foil. He pulls out a package wrapped in red ruffled paper from the bag. From inside the paper, he reveals a yellow envelope. He flips the envelope’s cap and takes out a plastic packet containing the rookie card featuring the NFL star. Touched, he walks to his daughter and gives her a warm embrace. They both appear teary-eyed with joy, and the video concludes with this beautiful moment.
For context, a 1984 Topps Dan Marino rookie in mint condition is currently fetching as much as $30,000 on eBay, according to PEOPLE. Whereas, at that time, Ted sold the card for $50, per NBC News.
The video has more than 11 million views and thousands of comments. Some people praised Ted’s parenting, others felt happy seeing how Lindsey fulfilled her childhood promise. @ugh.idunno commented, “The baseball card wasn’t the real gift to him. It was hearing his impact on you. Priceless!” @caityfaye said, “Beautiful moment and reminder to all parents we are teaching our kids lessons even when we don’t realize it.” @borkgoesshiba reflected, “His good parenting coming back to reward him.”
In a follow-up video, the mom of three shared a slideshow that contained pictures of the rookie card and screengrabs of the inner flap of the greeting card with her handwritten message scrawled on it. In the comment section, people tagged Miami Dolphins to get this card autographed by the former quarterback Marino. But whether or not it receives the star’s autograph, for Ted, it will always be priceless.
You can follow Lindsey on TikTok (@lindseyswagmom) for more wholesome videos on her lifestyle.
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