Da Steven Mershon fandt en flaskepost på stranden i Florida i USA, havde han ingen ide om, at indholdet vil ramme ham lige i hjertet.
Flaskepostens afsender var 10-årige Jonothan Torres, der havde skrevet et farvelbrev til sin bedste ven og sendt det afsted i havet. Det skriver ABC News.
Brevet, som blev fundet d. 19. april på stranden, lyder:
"Kære Daniel. Jeg er rigtig ked at du døde, og hvis du var i live, ville du og jeg spille fodbold og basket.
Vi ville spille med Mattew, Oscar og Brandon. Jeg går i 5. klasse, og du var min bedste ven, og vores yndlingssang var Austin Moon, og jeg håber du har det sjovt sammen med Jesus. Fra din bedste ven, Jonothan Torres”.
Efterfølgende har 54-årige Steve skrevet en rørende besked på sociale medier i håbet om at nå Jonothan Torres, som han gerne vil hjælpe, selvom han ikke aner, hvor drengen befinder sig i verden.
Steves trøstende ord til Jonothan er blevet delt tusindvis af gange og lyder bl.a.:
“Kære Jonothan Torres…Mit navn er Steve, og jeg fandt dit brev i en flaske en smuk tirsdag morgen d. 19. april. For det første lad mig fortælle dig, hvilken en stærk lille mand, du er, når du skriver sådan et brev til din bedste ven…Du viser så meget kærlighed i dit hjerte langt ud over din alder. Dine forældre, venner, mig selv og alle mine venner, som ved, at jeg fandt brevet er så stolte af dig.
Daniel er en heldig fyr at have dig som en bedste ven .. Jeg er så ked af, at han søde. Som dit brev slår fast, må I drenge have dyrket en masse sport sammen med Mathew, Oscar og Brandon. Jeg er sikker på, Daniel ville have dig til at vide, at når du og drengene spiller sport, ligger han og Jesus på og hepper på dig…."
Hele brevet på engelsk kan læses her:
"Dear Jonothan Torres.. My name is Steve, and I found your note in a bottle on a beautiful Tuesday morning, April 19th.
First of all, let me tell you what a strong little man you are for writing your best friend that letter.. You show so much love in your heart way beyond your years. Your parents, friends,teachers,myself, and all of my friends who know I found your letter are so proud of you.
Daniel is a lucky guy to have you as a best friend.. I’m so sorry he passed. As your letter states, you guys must’ve played a lot of sports together with Mathew, Oscar and Brandon. I’m sure Daniel would want you to know that when you guys are playing sports, he and Jesus are watching and rooting for you.
Perhaps your next touchdown, goal, or basket you can dedicate to your best friend Daniel. I don’t know where you threw your note in the ocean, or how long it was in the water, but it landed in the right hands, Jonothan.. You see, I find lots of things on the beach, and the best ones I keep..
I have shelves full of wood, shells, sunglasses and, yes, bottles.. Jonothan, your bottle, with your letter to your best friend, is the most beautiful thing I have ever found. It would trump anything in my collection. But I can’t. Won’t. You threw that bottle out to show your love for your best friend.. It is meant to be shared.. I took pictures of it, and shared it with friends on my Facebook page..
It tugged at many heartstrings, Jonothan.. But it’s going to be shared with more people.. Like I said, it fell into the right hands.. You see, I think Daniel put the bottle ashore where I found it, and his friend Jesus led me to it. I’ll tell you why. I’ve had plans for a few weeks to go way out on the ocean on a big cruise ship.
I’m going to take your letter and your bottle with me. I’m going to add my own little letter to it, Jonothan, and put the cork back in it, and when I find the deepest, prettiest, most blue water I can find, I’m going to throw it back in. So someone else, along with their friends, can see the love in your heart. You’re a good man, Jonothan. I’m hoping maybe, just maybe, the world can see the love in one fifth graders heart, and we can, one by one, all get along. Peace, little man!"
