A teen reeled in an unlikely catch while fishing on a Minnesota lake — a wallet containing $2,000 that he released to the rightful owner who lost it last year.
Connor Halsa, 14, caught the dough while out on Lake of the Woods during a summer vacation with family.
“My cousin opened the wallet up, and he said some words you probably shouldn’t say, and he showed everyone, and we took the money out and let it dry out,” he told the reporter.
Along with the thousands of dollars, a business card was also tucked inside the wallet.
“My dad said we should give it to the person, and I said we should, too,” he told the news station.
After calling the number on the business card, the incoming freshman at Moorhead High School found Iowa farmer Jim Denney.
“I tell you what, I have the billfold in my hands, and it is still hard to believe,” Denney told the station.
Denney went fishing at Lake of the Woods last summer when his wallet went swimming with the fishes, news reported. He didn’t realize he lost it until he reached into his bib overalls to pay the bill at the resort he was staying in.
“They had to float me the money for the whole deal,” Denney said. “That’s the (worst) feeling I ever had, didn’t have a penny on me.”
Denney recently traveled from Iowa to Moorhead, which borders North Dakota, where he met the Halsa family. He even reportedly tried to give the teen the money, but Halsa said no thanks.
“We didn’t work hard for the money, he did,” Halsa told the station. “It was his money.”
In a world where cynicism and skepticism are prevalent, it’s refreshing to be reminded that there are still good people out there. Hearing that Connor followed his father’s advice gives hope for the next generation, showing that parents are raising them with the right values. Instilling these values in children lays a solid foundation for the future; during uncertain times, they will look inward to find the right answers.
Hopefully, the returned wallet will serve as a token of a long-lasting intergenerational friendship between Connor and Jim. To us, it was a beautiful reminder to do good.
And what about you? What good deed have you done recently?
