2017 was full of its ups and downs, but for one Los Angeles Times photographer, Marcus Yam, the year came with an unexpected friendship thanks to one stranger’s gift.

Marcus was out on assignment in Iraq when a large and mysterious package arrived at the office in downtown L.A. The equipment manager sent him an email, “asking me if I bought a television and had it sent to the office.”

But, in fact, what the package contained was much more valuable than even the most state-of-the-art flat-screen television.

It was sent by a man whose home was threatened during the Erskine fire near Lake Isabella in the summer of 2016. The second-largest wildfire in California that season, it burned nearly 50,000 acres.

Marcus shared the story of the surprise package on Twitter:

At first, Marcus thought it was a joke and someone had sent him a gag gift. Photographers are rarely contacted readers, and when they are, it’s usually something along the lines of, “Wow, what a great shot!”

But when Marcus opened the gift, he found it was from a man named Darl. Darl had seen a photo Marcus had taken of the American flag standing strong in the midst of the fires.

Darl was so moved by the photo, he felt compelled to contact the photographer and provide some background, along with the flag itself as a gift.

Marcus hung the flag and Darl’s letter on a wall outside the photography department for everyone to see.

Even though he’d stood outside Darl’s home to take that photo, Marcus had never actually met the homeowner. So on the anniversary of that fire, he paid a return visit to finally meet the man whose gift had meant so much.

Darl was so impressed and moved by the photo, in fact, that he’d hung it up in a highly visible place in his home so he could see it every day:

I remember blushing when he proudly showed me where he hung the picture that I took, framed above his television in the living room. pic.twitter.com/4Pv7wMFpic — Marcus Yam 🔥 (@yamphoto) January 4, 2018

As I was departing, we stood outside his gate – adorned with a new flag and we decided that we needed a picture together. After I left, another brushfire broke out near Lake Isabella and I was hurling my way towards it. pic.twitter.com/4fq8vXCcSH — Marcus Yam 🔥 (@yamphoto) January 4, 2018

It’s incredible to think that this friendship came out of one man simply taking a few minutes out of his busy day to thank someone who touched his heart.

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