Woman who bought late grandfather's car finds 20-year-old recording of her beloved 'pop-pop'

When we lose a loved one, their belongings often become cherished keepsakes, holding memories that bring comfort. For Julie (@juliannaharveyx), buying her grandparents’ car unearthed a heartwarming memory of conversations with her grandfather, affectionately known as “Pop-pop.”

Julie shared this heartwarming moment on TikTok, filmed inside her grandfather’s 2003 Cadillac. The car’s built-in recorder had preserved a voice recording from nearly 20 years ago. “My pop-pop passed away in December 2022. I just recently bought my grandparents’ car and found the recording of us from almost 20 years ago,” she wrote in the overlay text of the video.

Behind the text, the video shows her hand pressing a black button on the built-in recorder. As she presses the button, a long “Hellloooo!” reverberates. Then her grandfather’s voice comes on. “Hello! Is that you, Julie?” her grandfather can be heard saying in the recorder. “Did you want to talk to pop-pop while we’re driving around in the car? Do you want to make a new message?” There is a momentary silence. Then the grandpa teases her by saying “Cat got your tongue? Did you forget how to speak, did you?” She just said, “I don’t have a big mouth!”

Millions of people were touched to the heart by Julie’s short video. So many people said that they were weeping, sobbing, and crying. Many were reminded of their own grandparents and how it breaks their hearts to know that they will never hear their voices again. @femcides commented, “I’m in literal tears this feels straight out of a movie and he sounds so sweet.”

@paiji_ wrote, “I just realized after 20 years I don’t remember my grandpa’s voice,” with a heartbreak emoji. @amber_shenae_nay shared their own experience of loss, “I have a voicemail from 2017 before my papa passed and occasionally I’ll listen to it, so bittersweet to hear their voice yet remember they are no longer here. I’m sure you were so happy to find this!” 

@chris_h_spam, whose comment appears at the top of the comment section requested a “pop pop reveal.” In reply to this comment, posted a follow-up video, sharing a carousel of photographs of herself and her pop-pop sharing random moments in places like a house, outdoors, a restaurant, etc. Julie, who is now the mom of a toddler boy named Dylan, added the mellifluous track “These Memories” by Hollow Coves in the background of the carousel. “He was the best! I found out I was pregnant the night after he passed,” she captioned the nostalgic video.

You can follow Julie on TikTok to catch more glimpses into her family life.