MANSFIELD – A Massachusetts family says their hearts were touched by a surprising act of kindness. They didn’t know that some rare coins were mixed in with an item they sold at a yard sale until they were returned with a note.

It’s been an emotional year for the Spiewakowskis, moving their elderly dad out of his Dudley home; selling the house and many of his possessions.

“It was nice because my brothers and I got to spend some time together at the house and did a lot of reminiscing and so forth,” said son Steve Spiewakowski of the estate sales.

But they’ll never forget what they gained, in something that was given away.

“We never would have known. We didn’t know that stuff was in there and we never would have missed it,” he said.

A yard sale customer paid $6 for a box of costume jewelry. Days later, that customer tracked the family down through their realtor.

“I don’t remember seeing this,” Steve said, holding the small box of coins. “This is what he put in the mailbox. He said they were worth over $200. I don’t know the value of these coins.”

A note left behind

Even more touching than the items’ return, were the words that came with them. The customer had also left a note.

“I just wanted to share a quote with you that has guided me to a richer life,” Steve read from the note. “Beware of over-concern for money, position, or glory. Someday you will meet a man who cares for none of these things. Then you will know how poor you are. Kipling. He signs off, take care, Mike.”

The family never saw Mike, and only know that he’s a collector — someone to whom the coins could be even more appealing. But his honesty more precious than silver.

“Those are the heroes in the world. They do the right thing because it’s the right thing to do,” Steve said. “People can be so mean to each other. We forget how nice people can be. I hope he knows what a tremendous impact he’s made on a family who’s been struggling with their dad’s stuff over the last year. It made a big difference with us.”

There is at least one billionaire living in 47 states in the country and 54 of them are now worth $1.6 trillion — with a t — up by $100 billion compared to last year, according to Forbes.

In Massachusetts, the richest person is Abigail Johnson, the chairman and CEO of Fidelity Investments, who has an estimated net worth of $29 billion, Forbes reported.

Johnson, a Milton resident, has served as CEO of Fidelity Investments since 2014, when she took over for her father. She has been chairman of the company since 2016. It’s estimated she owns a 28.5% stake in the firm, which manages discretionary assets amounting to $4.5 trillion, Forbes said.

MASSACHUSETTS — A wave of severe weather may hit Massachusetts Monday afternoon and evening, bringing the potential for damaging winds and heavy rain, according to forecasts.

According to the National Weather Service, the chance of severe storms is highest across the Berkshires and northern parts of the state, including northern Worcester, Middlesex and Essex counties. The chance of severe weather is slightly lower for central parts of the state and Boston, and only marginal for Cape Cod.

Any severe weather on Monday will only be the beginning of a stretch of unsettled weather this week. Tuesday night into Wednesday brings the potential for torrential rain and possible local flooding, according to forecasts. Temperatures will also swing into the low 70s later in the week — a big change from the high 80s and 90s in recent days.

Then there’s Hurricane Debby, which could creep up the East Coast this week, arriving in New England over the weekend.

“Need to monitor the track of Debby and the moisture associated with it for late in the week and over the weekend as it may bring impacts to our region. Heavy rain and flooding will be possible heading into the weekend,” the National Weather Service said.

Debby made landfall in Florida early Monday morning, and was on a track to strike states including Georgia, South Carolina and Virginia by late in the week.