Twenty five years ago, I gave my mom a dragon music box that played “Puff the Magic Dragon”. My niece, nicknamed “Puff” when she was born, asked my mom if she could have it someday.

Lauren “Puff” died at age 19 in an auto accident just before Christmas 2003. The tragedy struck our family hard, especially my one son. That Christmas, my mom gave my son the dragon music box. He cried. He knew Lauren had wanted that music box.

Recently, my sons’ cat shattered the music box. His wife asked me if it could be replaced. The music box was vintage, unusual, so I immediately thought of eBay. Lauren’s spirit guided me as I searched eBay for the music box. I found one, except with a pearly iridescent finish.

When we presented it to my son on his birthday last month, he cried as he wound it up to play “Puff’s song”. Tears of sadness mixed with joy hit all of us that evening as we paused to listen to the music box play. It could never have been replaced if it weren’t for eBay and its wonderful members. The dragon music box was my best eBay purchase ever.