…and I had no idea that this “holiday” existed.

I only found out about this through Metrodeals in an email: “11–11 Singles’ Day Supersale Preview” and I thought it was a joke. Like how did Metrodeal know this about me? A little research and Wikipedia gave me this:

Chinese Singles’ Day or Guanggun Jie (Chinese: 光棍节; pinyin: Guānggùn Jié; Wade–Giles: Kuang-kun chieh; literally: “bare sticks holiday”) is an entertaining festival widespread among young Mainland Chinese people, to celebrate the fact that they are proud of being single. The date, November 11th (11/11), is chosen because the number “1” resembles an individual that is alone.

Huh.

Anyway, I thought this was even funnier because Ruth, one of my characters in You Could Be the One, would think this holiday is hilarious and sad. After all, she’s never had a boyfriend.

So in honor of this holiday, I thought I’d share this piece that will be part of Ruth’s book. Maybe not in the exact form, but it will be there. I have half an outline and half of the first chapter written in her book – so if you’ve been waiting for that, there is progress! If you want to get more news on her soon, sign up for my mailing list? 🙂

If you want to get to know Ruth, you can read her story from Fake It Will We Make It, a story in You Could Be the One. Ebook is available on Amazon, and print copies are still available (PH only)! Or you can watch the live reading of an excerpt from the story by Fred Lo and Vanya Castor here.

Here you go – leave a comment if you relate? Haha. Happy Singles’ Day! 😉

Two years ago

Dear you,

Hi, I’m Ruth. And I’m…your future wife.

Okay, this feels very silly now, but I figured it’s only because this is the first time I’m writing to you, my future husband. So bear with me a minute – it should get better later on.

I don’t know you. Or if I do, I don’t know if you are you yet. Sometimes I wonder if I have met you already. Did I meet you at work? Did we serve together in Holy Family Missions? Are our paths yet to meet? Are we friends now? Will we be friends soon? (I hope so!)

I’ve heard and read and watched so many stories of people writing to their future spouses before they even met, and finding out later that the letters have helped them find each other. But I’m not writing this because of that, as much as I wish this would lead me to you. I’m writing this now because…I’m lonely.

I shouldn’t be. After all, today is also my 30^th birthday, and this is a cause for a big celebration. But now that the party is over and everyone’s home, I remain alone. The loneliness settled in again. It’s not like this is the first time I felt this, but tonight it just felt more poignant. It didn’t help that I was surrounded by couples earlier, and that Tita Ellen asked those questions about my non-existent love life again. Somehow, now that I’m thirty, these things have a heavier weight, no matter how hard I try not to make it matter.

I’m sorry to unload this all on you on this first letter. I won’t blame you if years into the future, you start questioning why you’re with me when you read this.

I guess…I just miss you. Is that possible? To miss someone that you’ve never even met? But that’s what it feels like now. Maybe especially because I don’t know you yet. I miss you, and I’m excited to know you and to fall in love with you.

I pray our paths cross soon and that I’d recognize you, and you, me.

Please get here soon.

Ruth