Dear Grandpa

Dear Grandpa,

It's been a long time since I've written you a letter. Things are kinda the same but yet different in some ways. There're lots of times that I wished that you're around to see how much you have taught us. Yes, even in your absence you're still teaching us. Guess your legacy will always be around.

I'm always ever thankful that I'm the oldest in the family because I got to meet and know you and know how much you have loved us. So grandma lives with us. I guess she's happy most of the time. She hangs out with Jojo and she's like a playmate to Jojo and she is always delighted to see little Baba too. I'm thankful that every time I head home, I get to hang out with Grandma. Her health is fine, except for her memory.

Grandpa, thanks, I'm always ever grateful that you and grandma adopted mummy. When three of us got baptized, mummy decided to name us, Faith, Hope and Amanda, which means love. She did a great job naming her kids. I wrote this on Facebook the other day, Faith's gift is Faith, Hope is always filled with Hope and Amanda (love) is in the Philippines spreading love. I asked Jacqui the other day where did we get our gifts of love and generosity from? Dad is a pretty generous person is showering us with whatever we wanted but I'm talking about going out and reaching out to the poor and needy. Walk the love.

And I thought deeper, I told Jacqui that it's probably from the maternal side of the family and she's like, that depends on nature vs nurture. Well, I kinda believe more in the nurture bit these days. And that's right, you adopted mummy without questions and without asking anything in return. You loved mummy unconditionally and for the longest time as a child, I never knew that mummy was adopted which meant that you treated your grandchildren equally. Thanks for that. And in turn, I saw that and as an adult, I internalized it and told myself that I'd adopt a child. So that's where Baba came around.

When Joanne was younger, she went out to the mission stations in Pakistan and did missions there. She has the heart of gold. Even now, she's doing missions to a certain extent as she's working in a Christian organization helping children with learning disabilities. Jacqui has been thinking a lot about her life. She has recently went to Manila to work with the slum kids. It has impacted her a lot. And she's at the crossroads trying to decide what God wants for her. The pictures that she sent me has me heartbroken for the kids.

Grandpa thanks for giving faith. Yes, faith of our fathers. You gave us the faith in God and loved us and in turn we are trying to live out your legacy or rather your faith. Although when you went to heaven, you were only sixty-two but you have impacted us a lot more than you can imagine. You're probably chuckling and laughing out in heaven when you see me typing this out. Yes, Grandpa, thanks. I am grateful and glad to have met and known you.