I Bought a $12 Prom Dress from a Thrift Store – Inside Was a Note That Changed Three Lives Forever

I found a $12 prom dress at a thrift store, a midnight blue gown with lace. Hidden in the lining was a note from a mother to her daughter, Ellie, apologizing for giving her up at five and asking forgiveness. Ellie never saw it; the dress ended up at Goodwill. Determined to find her, I wore the dress to prom, where I was crowned queen. My

teacher, Eleanor—Ellie—recognized the dress as one she’d worn, donated after it appeared on her doorstep. I showed her the note, and she reunited with her mother after a tearful six-hour drive. They gave me $20,000, which eased my college path, turning my potential into reality. Grandma’s thrift-store wisdom—“You’d be surprised what people give away”—sparked a chain of second chances for Ellie, her mother, and me.