Skip to main content

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
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Typhoon Haiyan: Ways to donate if you live in Canada

#prayforthePhilippines Philippines needs help. I just left the Philippines to move back to Canada when the storm hit the country -- being away, this is the least I can do. As you all know, Super Typhoon Haiyan (locally known as Yolanda) made headlines around the world not just because it is one of the most powerful typhoons ever recorded in history, but also because it had caused great devastation to many towns in the Philippines, and killed thousands and thousands of Filipinos. Even though the storm had left the Philippine Area of Responsibility, many are still in danger of getting sick or dying because many are without home, food, clothes and even clean water right now. Video from CNN It is known that Canadians are among the most generous of people in the world. Let us show, once again, how compassionate we all are by donating to the typhoon victims.  I have compiled links to different NGO sites where you can forward your monetary donations. Please feel ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Lessons we twentysomethings could learn from Mandela

Source: NelsonMandela.org A few months back, I saw Nelson Mandela (also known as Madiba or Tata) on the cover of Reader's Digest and immediately bought a copy. I've always been like that. I love reading and watching news and documentaries about the world's greatest leaders. I do it because of course, one, there's the fascination. [The] fascination with their illustrious lives; their successes and the many failures and challenges they faced. I look up to them because they show me the kind of leader I want to be like. Second, there's the learning. Despite being different from many of us, one fact remains the same -- they are also humans who have strengths and weaknesses, just like us, and we can learn from their experiences.  Going back to Mandela, I felt sad upon reading at that time that he was ailing, so just imagine how sad I got when I heard the news about his passing. I know a lot felt the same. I was sad not only because he is Mandela, ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Thank You for New Windows

Photo by Thea Sandoval Who doesn't love beautiful and peaceful fall mornings? All mornings spent at home are beautiful to me, but the magnificence of the autumn season just magnifies its simple beauty. Last night, we had a fun, gleeful Thanksgiving celebration with my parents' Couples for Christ family. This morning I woke up to an opposite ambience -- it was quiet and calm, with sunrays coming through the windows and all. I sat beside our living room window and I said a little "thank you" inside that all is well with my soul again. I started thanking God for all His small blessings that we fail to notice when our lives become a little less than perfect. Art from seedsoffaith.com It's been months since I was able to really stop and appreciate the beauty of life and all the gifts that were given to me. I thought this morning was the perfect time for me to reflect and say a " salamat " (thank you) for everything. First and foremost, I am thank...
Post a Comment
Read more