Close Ad

Teen Finds a Secret Room and Treasure in New House - And Makes an Inspiring Decision
Surprised teen in front of a mysterious door of light
Uplifting News

Teen Finds a Secret Room and Treasure in New House - And Makes an Inspiring Decision

One teenager found an incredible secret about her new house, and decided to return the treasure to its rightful owners.

Moving is one of the most stressful things a family can go through. With renovations, packing, unpacking, and dealing with unforeseen structural issues, there isn’t a lot to be excited for when the prospect of moving arises. However, on some rare occasions, something exciting comes up that makes moving seem worth it. 

How an Imperfection on a Bookshelf Led to a Secret Treasure

Levi and Kelsey Gilles, together with their daughter Ada, were excited to be moving to a new house near Harrisonburg, Virginia. The house checked all of their boxes and seemed perfect for their family. Levi and Kelsey let their daughter Ada, who was 15-years-old, choose the room she wanted for herself. She decided to choose one with a recessed bookcase that she couldn’t wait to decorate. The room was perfect for her, and she wouldn’t imagine that it could get any better. 


As she was decorating and preparing her bedroom, Ada noticed a small imperfection on the bottom of the bookshelf. There was a latch and a little gap that didn’t look like it belonged. She and her parents investigated. After feeling around, the family realized that the bookshelf was a kind of door that had to be slid to one side in order to reveal what lay on the other side – which was a secret room!

What a Family Found in a Hidden Room at Their New Home

The secret room behind the bookshelf was completely camouflaged, and held a working light and a drawer – a perfect private place! Ada and her parents quickly opened the drawer to see what was inside and found some rare coins.

The Gilles family knew they couldn’t keep such amazing coins, and returned the treasure to its rightful owner. However, they were now the owner of this amazing secret room. They shared their story on YouTube where it got 1 million hits! 

How Leading with Integrity Set an Incredible Example

While we may not all be so lucky to find hidden treasure or special secret rooms in our houses, we can all take a lesson from what happened to the Gilles family. There are always special secrets and special surprises hidden in all of our lives, homes, and families. The Gilles family also decided to return the rare coins instead of keeping it for themselves, proving they led with integrity and at the same time set an amazing example to their young daughter.

We only have to look a little bit to discover the amazing treasures in our everyday lives. Once we find them, we should celebrate what makes us special every single day.

More Uplifting News from Goalcast:

act with integrity
"Real integrity is doing the right thing, knowing that nobody's going to know whether you did it or not." - Oprah Winfrey

Hot Stories

Why Jennifer Hudson Forgave Her Mother's Killer -- Life Stories By Goalcast

At the peak of her career, Jennifer Hudson faced a horrific family tragedy. Hudson's mother and brother were brutally attacked in their family home, and her seven-year-old nephew was kidnapped. What followed was a heart-wrenching manhunt to rescue her nephew and seek justice against the man who took her family. Hudson speaks from the heart in this video on what happened to her family and how she was able to move forward.

Celebrities
ideas and thinking

bright ideas

The 21st century has brought great new opportunities for entrepreneurs. The digital revolution has completely changed the way we live -- and the landscape for aspiring CEOs and innovators.

powerful-business-woman

Keep ReadingShow less
Entrepreneurs
Sad woman arms on face
woman crying on a beach

While life is beautiful in so many ways, it is also filled with struggles and obstacles. We can’t truly appreciate happiness without experiencing some sort of pain.

Pain is inevitable. No matter how much we try to prevent bad things from happening, life will strike. Maybe you will have to face grief, betrayal or a broken heart. These experiences can tear you down in unspeakable ways. Some of them will cause so much pain that you’ll do anything that comes to mind to avoid it or feel a bit of joy, even if just for a few seconds.

Keep ReadingShow less
Authors