SEATTLE -- Perhaps it's the stunning skyline or the calm tide that lure people to Alki in West Seattle. A woman named Karen loved it so much, her ashes were scattered here.
Thursday, on Karen's birthday, a mysterious gift appeared -- a gift found by a 15-year-old girl, Gabrielle Vanek.
"Dear finder, thank you for finding this gift and not being afraid to open it," read the letter inside. The letter was written by Karen's anonymous sister.
Reading the letter, Vanek says she learned how much Karen brightened the lives around her.
"Karen was a sister, wife, daughter, and mother," the letter read. "Had I known we'd lose her so early, I would have spent so much more time with her and told her how wonderful she truly was."
The stranger ended the letter with some advice. "Please do tell the people you love what they mean to you."
Opening the gift, Vanek found a headlamp for riding at night, and a card that said "May a luminous dream light the way."
"It made me tear up," says Vanek. "I thought it was really sweet."
Gabriella was so moved, she posted the story on the West Seattle Blog. She says she wanted to "tell her that I found the gift and it touched me like she hoped it would."
The letter was signed by "Lanie" with no mention of a last name. She said her sister Karen unexpectedly died of a pulmonary embolism in 2001.
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