'Postcard From Heaven': A Message From Mom and Dad Finally Arrives 26 Years Later

August 12, 2026

Sometimes, a message from someone we love can arrive at exactly the moment we need it most. For Bob Sheppard, that message came in the form of a weathered postcard from Denmark that his parents mailed more than 26 years ago.

Bob Sheppard / ABC 7 News

Sheppard was checking his mailbox at his Long Beach, California, home when he discovered the unexpected piece of family history.

The postcard had been sent from Copenhagen in July 2000, during one of his parents' many adventures around the world. On it, they had written a short message to their son:

"Flying in, we saw lots of water and green, green land everywhere. Love, M&D."

It was a simple postcard, but its meaning was anything but simple.

By the time it finally arrived in August 2026, both of Sheppard's parents had passed away.

His mother, Joanne, died four years ago, while his father, John, died six years ago during the COVID-19 pandemic. Because of hospital restrictions at the time, Sheppard said he never had the opportunity to properly say goodbye to his father.

"It haunts me to this day," he said.

So finding a handwritten message from his parents more than two decades after they sent it was an emotional experience.

"I just started looking at it and go, 'Oh my gosh. This is a treasure!'" Sheppard recalled.

His parents had loved traveling, visiting places including Easter Island, the Galapagos and Africa. Sheppard still has a collection of photographs and passport pages documenting their adventures, which he put together for their celebration of life.

Now, the postcard has become another treasured piece of their story.

Exactly where it spent the past 26 years remains a mystery. The postcard carries a postmark from Copenhagen dated July 2000, while its Los Angeles postmark is dated August 2026.

Sheppard's mail carrier suggested that the postcard may have somehow fallen behind a desk, cabinet or other piece of equipment before eventually being discovered and sent on its way.

Whatever happened to it, Sheppard isn't focused on the explanation. He sees the timing as something much more meaningful.

"This was, to me, almost a postcard from heaven," he said.