Giving Back
The act of kindness you do for someone can go a long way - even longer than one can imagine. One kind boy decided to help someone who really needed that. Doing that small act of kindness, he had no idea how much that meant for a person so far away from him.
Life went on, and he soon forgot about that event. But things happen for a reason, don't they? And one day, 15 years later, an unexpected event happened to him. The event that would change his entire life forever...
Facebook Friend Request
The story started on an ordinary April evening when a girl named Joana Marchan sent a Facebook friend request to Tyrel Wolfe. Tyrel rarely accepted friend requests, especially from people he didn’t know. That seemed suspicious to him.
The girl was unfamiliar, so he did not take much time to know who she could be. With this, he came to the idea of deleting the said request. Soon he would find out what a great mistake it was!
Deleted the Request
Tyrel deleted the request that Joana had sent him. He did it without having a second thought. Soon Tyrel forgot all about it. Why wouldn't he, right? He didn't really care about such things.
Never been able to know the true purpose of the girl, Tyrel just went on with his life. Yet it was just the beginning of everything...
Stranger Was Persistent
After some time, Tyrel had again received a friend request from Joana. The mysterious stranger was persistent enough that she sent a friend request to Tyrel the second time around.
Expectedly, this struck Tyrel as a bit weird, and he has gathered confusion on the girl’s action. He scrolled down through the girl’s profile, but he was 100-percent sure that he did not have any knowledge about the girl at any rate. Oh, how wrong he was!
Tyrel Messaged Joana
While scrolling down Joana's profile, Tyrel noted that the girl was quite pretty. However, he was curious about the reason that she was so eager to be friends with him. Tyrel decided to go ahead and ask Joana.
He messaged her. The first thing he asked was if they knew each other. The girl replied that he did not know her, but she knew quite a lot about him. That left Tyrel completely confused.
Remembering Something
Tyrel recalled back then that he couldn’t have even imagined what his friendship with Joana would turn into and how it would change his entire life. Puzzled by the answer that he got from Joana, Tyrel began to conclude different kinds of thoughts that had circled through his head.
Joana has mentioned a shoebox gift that had meant so much for her. That finally rang the bell in Tyrel's head. At that time, he came to the point of remembering something. Things were about to get more clear.
Shoebox Gifts
Fifteen years earlier, Tyrel took part in the operation of the Christmas Child Project. It involved filling the shoeboxes with school supplies, souvenirs, and small toys to which Tyrel also did. He also filled up the box with a handwritten letter and his photo in cowboy clothes before he sealed the box.
The following day, the boy’s parents delivered it to the local church to send it to less fortunate children from other parts of the world. Tyler had long forgotten about the package that he had sent so long ago. He could barely even remember the story since he was so young at that time.
Forgotten about the Package
Tyler didn’t even suspect that there was someone on the other side of the ocean who still remembered his gift. He never imagined that the mysterious girl would be the person that would be receiving little Tyrel’s gift.
This was all a great twist of events for Tyler who was still in awe after learning everything. Coincidentally, the box with the boy’s gifts soon ended up in a poor family in the Philippines.
The Receiver of Tyrel’s Gift
That same box packed by the boy from Idaho has been received by Joana, who came from a Filipino family. Joana, as a child, was longing for the fun presence of having great toys, which she was not fortunate enough to have.
Thus, Tyrel’s gift had become of great value to her. Tyler, who was still shocked, couldn’t fully sink in everything at first.
Telling His Mother
After getting a glimpse of the past, Tyler has come to tell his mother the things that he had discovered. Surprisingly, his mother has also come to remember the gift box. She told Tyler that he had taken part in the charitable activity as a boy.
She also told him how affectionately he packed that box and how much love was in his eyes. His mom said to him that he meant it for a boy like himself.
Beginning of a Beautiful Story
Tyler even included his favorite markers with a note which he wrote that he wanted to meet the receiver of his gift. He recalled these happenings and left a big smile on his face. This unexpected event marked the beginning of a beautiful story that could make for a great movie someday.
Years passed, from a good-natured little boy, Tyler grew up into a mature young man with his own life views.
Tyrel and Joana
That moment started the long and exciting interaction between Tyrel and Joana. The young man who used to spend his free time with friends now spends all his time thinking about the girl who's so far away.
They could text each other for days on end, and it seemed like they had known each other forever. They talked like that for a whole year, and it went very smoothly as the two of them turned out to have a lot in common.
Seeing Joana in Person
After a year of this virtual relationship, they decided that they wanted more. Tyler couldn’t help himself, but he desperately wanted to see Joana in person. Just like any other person, Tyler also likes to know more about his friend.
He wanted to know Joana personally, not just in the reach that was only limited to the virtual aspect. Tyler then decided that he would save up money to manage to go to where Joana was.
Saving Up Money
To save up money to meet Joana in person, Tyler took a job at a construction site to afford a flight to the Philippines. A couple of months later, he manages to save up enough money to go to Manila, where Joana lives.
It’s also worth noting that the trip was challenging for Tyrel because he had never gone so far from home before. He also has no idea if he would be welcomed nicely by the people that he is about to meet.
First Meeting in Person
After all, things were already set. Tyler headed his way to meet Joana. He cannot hide his excitement for his first meeting in person with Joana. His anticipation gave him confidence and strength to oversee that everything was alright. When the plane took off, Tyler breathed out a sigh of relief.
He then walked through the halls of the airport as his eyes were looking for Joana. He has imagined their first meeting plenty of times, but when he saw her, his heart burst into flames.
Warm and Emotional
Expecting that things would just go the same for their first meeting, Tyler did not predict feeling full of new feelings. At that moment, he realized that it would be more than just a friendship because he got to think beyond what he could usually feel.
Then, it turned out that what he was contemplating on was utterly right. Their meeting was very warm and emotional. It was memorable for both of them.
Joana’s Way of Living
The young people had then left the airport and headed to Joana’s house. Upon arrival, the young man from America was shocked by the living conditions of the girl’s family.
Like many years ago, Joana and her family are still living in a tiny house far from what seems to be comfortable. Although this kind of living may surprise people from developed countries, it’s a common thing in the Philippines.
Modest and Well-Mannered
Despite not having enough access to all things, it did not hinder Joana from growing as a woman with integrity. Joana turned out to be very modest and well-mannered. Her wide smile and her kind soul have captured the heart of Tyler.
Even after seeing the reality of Joana’s life, the young man wasn’t hesitant to feel deep affection for Joana. Instead of coming over a judgment about the girl’s way of living, it has allowed Tyler to gain a better outlook on life.
A Great Change in Their Lives
The lives of these two people have changed drastically since they first came in contact. Starting from being prominent friends, the two have fallen in love with each other. Meeting each other has brought a significant change in their lives.
Tyler was immediately attracted to Joana because of her outer beauty, which was also reflected on the inside. Joana was also captivated by how pure, and clear Tyler’s intentions were.
Became Inseparable
For the next ten days that Joana and Tyler were together, the two became inseparable. They visited many beautiful places in the Philippines. They spent time together and cherished every moment that they had.
However, the only thing that upset the girl was that Tyrel could only stay for ten days. The young people were busy learning about each other, and they didn't notice that days went by so quickly.
Limited Time Together
Even given the limited time together, they still got to know each other very well. Most importantly, they realized that they never wanted to part again. The reunited friends have grown to love each other for the short time that they were together.
Joana and Tyler put value to every moment they shared, and they tried to show how important and special one was most of the time. Their bond grew stronger each day that they spent with each other.
Joana Kept Tyrel’s Gift
Joana told Tyler that she had kept his gift through the years. She had treated it as something with great value because she never had such things before. They both opened the box and reminisced their early years' memories.
Joana pulled out the box and showed Tyler the letter from his seven-year-old self where he wrote that he hoped to meet the recipient of the box one day. And now, he was already living his childhood dream.
The Promise
After ten days of being together, Joana and Tyrel had come to bid goodbye to each other as Tyrel returned to his home. When he was about to leave, he promised Joana that he would come back. Despite Tyrel's assurance, both of them still couldn’t find the strength to say goodbye for several hours.
The questions running through their heads were will the young man keep his words, and how would the couple’s relationship further develop?
Huge Distance
When Tyler left the Philippines, the sweethearts exchanged messages daily and often talked on video chat. Despite the considerable distance between them, the young people couldn’t go for a minute without talking to each other.
Their long-distance romance remained intact even with the fact that they were away from one another. Their trust, loyalty, and love for each other have kept them going despite their current situation.
Unexpected Surprise
A few months later, something happened that Joana could have never expected. After having thought about everything, Tyrel bought a plane ticket to the Philippines and headed to Joana. Joana, on the other hand, didn’t know he was coming. This was an unexpected surprise for Joana. The couple’s happiness knew no bounds.
Tyrel told Joana that he went for a particular reason: to ask permission from Joana’s father for her hand in marriage. Joana’s father permitted him because he saw how good Tyler was as a person.
No Explanations Needed
Although Joana’s father was an intelligent and strict man, there were no explanations needed at all. He has seen everything he needed to know in the couple’s shining eyes. Like every parent, he wanted his child to be happy. He only asked Jhoana if she was sure that she wanted to live her whole life with Tyrel, to which the girl confidently answered yes. The couple then came to marry each other at a wolf’s ranch in Idaho.
The wedding ceremony of the couple was filled with a lot of music and fun. Tyrel was dressed in a traditional Filipino formal shirt (Barong Tagalog), while Joana was wearing a simple white dress and a wreath of flowers.
The Wedding Ceremony
Unfortunately, visa problems prevented the bride’s parents from attending the wedding. However, the couple decided to have another wedding in the near future which will now be held in the Philippines. Joana testified that when she and Tyrel had exchanged their vows, she felt that he was her person for life and that she had never loved anyone so much.
As years go by, the couple has remained happily married. Being married for a while, the couple loved each other more. Their bond has strengthened, and their relationship was filled with deeper meaning. The couple has been given a lovely son whom they’ve surrounded with love and care.
Annual Sending of Shoebox Gifts
Tyler and Joana had decided to partake in the annual sending of shoebox gifts. Many people will also be inspired by a simple act of kindness just like what they had experienced. Tyrel admitted he could not imagine how everything would have turned out if the project had never happened. Everything would have been different, and he wouldn’t have met the love of his life. Tyrel was convinced that any small act of kindness comes back to you and will make your life better.
A single act of kindness can go over a thousand miles. It can give someone hope to continue rowing their boats as they go with the flow of life. We can always choose to be kind without expecting something in return. We can be kind just by the burning passion in our hearts to lend a hand to other people. We can live in a world where kindness and compassion are visibly witnessed. Would you like to take your part in it?