Chastity Patterson, 23, uses texting her deceased father on a daily basis as a coping strategy to help her get through the death of her father. She texted his old number for four years, never anticipating a reply and only doing it to get her grief out—that is, until she got a reply. It wasn’t her father speaking to her from the dead or the underworld, though. It turned out that her late father’s phone number had been given to someone else, and for four years, he had received every text she had ever sent. Chastity was shocked when he informed her that he had also lost a loved one after responding to her texts. According to The Daily Mail, he had lost his daughter in a vehicle accident five years prior. The world occasionally operates in mysterious ways, don’t you think?
The man replied to her final SMS with: “Hello my love! I’ve been receiving all of your communications for the past four years even though I’m not your father. Your morning messages and nighttime updates are eagerly anticipated by me. My name is Brad, and in August 2014, I was involved in a vehicle accident and lost my daughter. Your messages kept me going. I can tell it’s a message from God when you text me. I’m sad you lost someone so dear to you, but throughout the years, I’ve listened to you and seen more of your growth and hardships than anybody else. Years ago, I wanted to text you back, but I didn’t want to hurt your feelings.”
Brad continued by praising the girl’s growth and progress. The text went on, “Thank you for your daily updates; they serve as a reminder that there is a God and that it wasn’t his fault that my little baby passed away. You are an exceptional woman, and I wish my daughter had grown up to be the woman you are. He gave me you, my little darling, and I was prepared for this day. As long as you work hard every day and radiate the light that God gave you, everything will be fine. I’m sorry you had to go through this, but if it helps, know that you have my admiration.”
Chastity was obviously stunned. She posted the lovely, touching statement on the social media site Facebook. Since then, her post has spread widely, gaining users from all around the world. In a post-update, she stated: “[My dad] never skipped a school dance, prom, or one of my games, and YES, he did have lengthy conversations with me about my mouth and attitude. If I was permitted to date, I had to introduce my boyfriends to him, and he would act like a regular father and have the lengthy conversation with us. Because he took the time to love me and demonstrate what happiness looks like for me, I’ve sobbed with him, told him everything, and even developed a strong sense of independence. So, YES, Jason was my father, but he also served as an example for many young people in our community. I spread my thoughts so that my friends and family would understand that there is a God and that even if it can take four years, he always arrives on schedule.” Her experience merely serves to demonstrate that the universe does indeed have plans for you that are distinct from those you may have for yourself.