Unexpected Connection Through a Hidden Note

A Minnesota woman, Michelle from Minneapolis, made a heartwarming discovery when she bought a book at a local thrift store. Inside, she found a note that led to an unforeseen encounter.

Michelle explained to Newsweek that the discovery occurred by chance. “I was browsing my local thrift store, found a book I wanted, and when I got home I noticed there were handwritten notes tucked inside,” she recounted.

The top of the note carried a handwritten affirmation: “I am smart. I am calm. I’ve worked hard to prepare. I’ve got this.” Below, the note detailed a journey of MCAT scores improving over time, from practice scores of 515, 519, and 523 to actual scores of 525 and 528. It also included a list tracking medical school applications, interviews, and acceptances.

Several prestigious schools were listed as acceptances, such as Harvard Medical School, Johns Hopkins, Mayo Clinic, the University of Iowa, and Creighton University. There were also rejections marked.

“It felt like finding a little time capsule of someone else’s life,” Michelle shared. “You could see years of hard work through the practice MCAT scores, the encouraging notes she’d written to herself, and eventually a perfect score and a list of medical school acceptances.”

The discovery was already special, but an unexpected connection made it remarkable. Michelle posted a photo of the note on Reddit under the name lemonspriggs, and the post gained traction with over 7,500 upvotes. Soon after, Michelle received a surprising message.

The message began: This is so surreal … that’s my note.

Michelle was astonished. “To my complete surprise, she actually found the post,” Michelle said. “Her husband recognized the notes and sent them to her, so she made a Reddit account just to comment. Hearing the rest of her story and seeing how much the post meant to her made the whole experience even more special.”

The original writer of the note revealed she had forgotten about leaving it in the book. “I used to tuck little affirmations into my textbooks because I was so anxious about the MCAT,” she wrote. “Seeing ‘I’ve worked hard to prepare. I’ve got this.‘ again brought me right back to that season of my life.”

She shared that she became a doctor in a unique way, deciding to specialize in infectious diseases as an expert rather than in a conventional clinical practice. “I study zoonotic diseases and focus on preventing and understanding diseases that move between animals and humans,” she explained. “I run my own research lab and spend a lot of time working with farmers on biodefense and emerging infectious disease issues. Looking back, it feels like exactly where I was meant to end up!”

She expressed gratitude to Michelle for sharing the note, allowing her to reconnect with her past self. She also imparted encouragement to anyone studying for the MCAT or pursuing a distant dream: Keep going. One day you’ll look back and realize those late nights, tiny victories, and little notes to yourself were all worth it.

For Michelle, receiving that response was a meaningful moment and a testament to the positive impact of social media.