After 26 years of being shuffled from place to place, a
Father's Day card
mailed by a gay Virginia man in 1989 has finally made it into the hands of his father.
Duane Schrock, now 87, called it a miracle, reports
Lynchburg TV station WSET
. But the joy he felt in receiving that card is tinged with regret, because his son, Duane Jr., died of AIDS-related causes in 1995.
"Dear Dad, we haven't been in touch for quite a while," Schock's son wrote to him in the now-bittersweet greeting card. "I'm doing fine and am very happy in Richmond. I'd like to hear from you. Have a Happy Father's Day."
Schrock told WSET he became estranged from his son after saying he didn't agree with the "gay lifestyle" Duane Jr. was living. The Father's Day card -- which Duane Jr. had sent in hopes it would foster a way for the two to reconnect and reconcile -- took years to reach its destination because of his father's frequent moves.
For Schrock, the card is a sign that his son is doing well in heaven, he said.
Watch WSET's emotional report below.
