***UPDATE***
I published the following post about a wedding message in a bottle on January 3rd, 2018. A few days later, on January 7th, Frank commented on the story below, and Judy contacted me separately. They contacted me separately because they are no longer together. I am withholding their last names out of respect for all involved. The day after they contacted me, Frank also spoke with Global News and explained that the sentiments in the message were “true at the time” but also expressed that he did not want to obsess over the past.
In her email to me, Judy, a kind and sweet woman, also focused on the future. She described the find as “quite a surprise!” Judy added that she “had forgotten Frank did this.” In her email, Judy reminded me of something important. She said that there is “Always hope for tomorrow.” Messages in bottles do not always have the happiest endings, but when they begin their journeys, we fill them with our hopes and dreams. Like the ocean, the world is a turbulent place, and things change in our lives all the time. And even though Frank and Judy walk separate paths today, I, for one, think that our ability to have hope for the future despite the turbulence of life is one of the very best things about humans.
I want to thank everyone involved in this story–Danita, Frank, and Judy–for sharing a rather bittersweet story, and allowing me to share it here.
And that, I suppose, is all there is to say about this message in a bottle. Check out the original story below about the search for Frank and Judy if you haven’t yet.
Wedding Message in a Bottle Discovered in Nova Scotia
Many thanks to Danita Hirtle-Sawler, who sent in this story and these photos. Danita relates the story of her father, who found a wedding message in a bottle that is lovely and mysterious.
“My dad, who passed in 2001, found this bottle along the shoreline leading down to Oak Island, Nova Scotia. I believe he found it at his cabin close by the water in 2000. I hope maybe some day I can find the sender.”
Frank and Judy’s Wedding Message in a Bottle. Photo: Danita Hirtle-Sawler.
Here’s the message he found inside:
Frank and Judy’s Wedding Message in a Bottle, Dated April 15th, 2000. Photo: Danita Hirtle-Sawler.
A Message of Love and Faith
It’s a wedding message!
April 15, 2000
Frank and Judy were wedd in the sight of God. If this is ever found, please know that these two people are extremely happy in their faith and in each other.
I tell you, there is nothing like an honest-to-goodness, romantic message in a bottle to brighten my day. This one reminds me of other wedding day messages in bottles like this sweet story, and a different one that is still unsolved–click here for that story (maybe YOU are the missing link!). It’s interesting to reflect on the fact that Nicholas Sparks’s famous Message in a Bottle book came out just a couple years before Frank and Judy sent this message in a bottle. Makes you wonder if that’s what inspired the note.
Of course, there is a sad element to this story. Danita’s father passed away in 2001, and never had a change to find and connect with the senders. But, as she mentioned in her message to me, she does hope to find the senders, Frank and Judy, who were married on April 15th, 2000.
Where did the Wedding Message in a Bottle Come From?
Well, this is a tricky question. The Labrador Current runs southward and westward along the southern shore of Nova Scotia. The bottle could have started out north and east of the Halifax area. From there, it would have drifted south and west on the Labrador Current. Finally, it would have been swept into the bay where Oak Island is.
On the other hand, the message was sent in 2000, and also found in 2000. Most likely, it didn’t travel terribly far. If it had been in the open ocean, it could have covered hundreds of miles between being sent and found. So it’s possible that it started out closer to Oak Island–like maybe in St. Margaret’s Bay, or the bay Oak Island itself is in. Of course, it could have come from senders based in Halifax or Dartmouth, or pretty much any of the coastal areas in the above map.
Personally, I bet Frank and Judy are Canadian, and I bet they sent their message from somewhere within the bounds of the map above.
Almost 18 years have passed since Frank and Judy married and sent their message to commemorate the day. Wouldn’t it be great if we could let them know their wedding message in a bottle was found? And just think: if we do that, we can also put them in touch with Danita!
***If you liked this story, click here to find me on Facebook and like my page for more message in a bottle stories! YOU could be the next one to solve a message in a bottle mystery! Click here to learn more about messages in bottles, and you can always contact me with questions, ideas, or stories.