Today, I wrote a boy a 'love' letter

Someone asked me about my plans for Valentine's Day a few days ago. And since I've been battling a flu since the beginning of the week, my response was quick. "Oh God, I am too sick to even think about it. Valentine's Day is the least of my concerns," I said, even though it wasn't entirely true. 

I knew, even before the week started, that it was going to be a challenging one. But I didn't expect that it would be ultra challenging and I'd get hit by the flu and suffer from it all week long.  So here I am, at home; still recovering and surprisingly happy that, for the first time in a long time, I have no work to do. And while I have been busy doing nothing (but sleep most of the time to help my body completely recover from illness and prepare myself for next week), someone crossed my mind all of a sudden.

His name is Leonidas. I have a photo of him in my wallet.

I first met Leonidas in December, just before Christmas. His smile made me notice him. I just got attracted to it. I don't usually make the first move, but I know I wanted to be part of his life, so I wrote him an old-fashioned letter today.

He is from Ecuador. Long distance, I know. But I'll do my best to make it work.

Leonidas is a 4-year-old child, who I started sponsoring two months ago. I've always wanted to sponsor a child, but always thought too that I may not have the budget for it. During the holiday season, my friend Curtis's wife, Miriam, shared a post on FB from Compassion Canada (a charitable organization I'm familiar with since another classmate from Sheridan works there). They posted photos of children from Ecuador who needed to be sponsored starting on Christmas Day, and that's when Leonidas' smile caught my attention. :) 

If I have the spending power to use a portion of my pay on shopping, then I should also have the power to sacrifice some purchases to help the kid's future. I never thought that it can be a very rewarding thing to do, especially knowing that I am helping a child get an education and be taught how to live loving God. More than the donation, I think investing in and committing to a child, who is in a whole other continent, is more important. 

Writing him a letter today officially starts our relationship. 

This is not the letter, but a card I'm sending to introduce myself and my family to him

For so long, Valentine's Day has just been another day for me. To be honest, at this age, I thought I would have already met the one and spend V-day a bit differently. But instead of daydreaming when the right man will come along, I have poured my heart into a letter, which will hopefully help make a difference in someone's life. Today, I made sure that my Valentine's Day counted.

I'm dying to hear back from him! :D