She left a note at late dad's house asking new owners to buy a childhood bench. She couldn't believe the response she got

Our childhood is nothing but a phase of our lives and we can only take certain souvenirs and memories into adulthood. The baby clothes, toys and other belongings often hold a space in our hearts because they hold a nostalgic version of ourselves along with memories of a priceless time. A woman named Erica Monaghan–who goes by @ericaanus on TikTok–was stoked to realize that the childhood bench she used to swing on was still being used at her late dad’s home, per PEOPLE. Like many, she wanted the piece of her young years and left a note for the homeowners asking whether she could buy the swing. 

Monaghan shared a video revealing that she wanted to show her husband the place her late dad lived in. As she drove by her childhood home, she saw the swing she used to play on as a kid and was immediately moved. Her dad, Rick, passed away due to cancer at 59, and ever since, she hadn’t visited his home. However, when she was around the area, she decided to drive by. "When I saw that they still had the swing, it flashed me back to my kids on that swing, me on that swing, my nieces and nephews on that swing, my mom and dad on that swing—everything," she recounted.

The initial thought was never about buying the swing but just the tons of memories it held, especially with her late dad. "It really brought back a lot of memories. I was telling my husband about it, just watching it and I was like, 'I can't believe they still have that swing. That is so cool.' I didn’t think anything of it at the time,” Monaghan said. While she was speaking to her husband, she was surprised to see him get onto the driveway and get out of his car. "I was like, 'What are you doing? What are you doing? I'm so uncomfortable right now.’ He went to the door and rang the bell, but they weren't answering. I didn’t know what he was doing,” she remarked. 

After he received no response, the husband returned and shared that he was planning to ask if he could buy the bench. Monaghan was grateful for the gesture but decided to move on when there was no answer. “But he’s like, 'No, write a note. Do something. We have to get that bench,’” she recalled. As suggested, she wrote a note that read, “My dad used to own this house, in which, he passed in 2015. My kids and I used to swing on this bench and I was wondering whether we could buy it from you?” The video captured Monaghan leaving the note by the door. To her luck, the homeowners contacted her. 

Monaghan was grateful after receiving the positive and thoughtful response. “After having that full conversation, I told him I’m not trying to buy your house, I’m just talking about the bench. And he’s like, 'Oh, yeah, it means so much more to you than to us,” Monaghan noted. She added, “We were very much like, 'Hey, we would love to replace it so you have a bench and can make memories on it for your kids. That way, they’ll have something to look back on in the future.” As for the decades-old piece, “It’s going to be our gathering place,” she proudly remarked.

You can follow Erica Monaghan (@ericaanus) on TikTok for more wholesome content on family.