I've been wanting to write this note for a long time and share what happened over the March Break. Just to tell you guys, I am writing this at 2 in the morning. I've been busy this whole week and haven't been able to write this note but I thought I really needed to write this before Holy Week was over. Please try to read the whole note. If not then you can start from the asterisk, since that's where the real story starts.

My march break's been really fun. From chilling with Kinsella, Robyne and their SJA friends, to the 2000 Hail Mary's. HHLT and KFC Core. From not being able to finish my ten hail mary's without laughing (I'm still ashamed of doing so. >.<) to our serious guys forum at HHLT. From learning about Dora the Explorer at KFC Core to spending quality time with close friends that since moving to high school, we haven't seen them normally.

You know, at the end of the day, we're part of something bigger and more important. All of this is insignificant compared to God. But God's blessed me with alot. I'm blessed to actually have all this. To have such a great group of friends who are always there for me. I have the YFC who are always there for support. I mean could I ever get good at guitar without people like Alaina, Ian and Ray helping me? I'm blessed with my family, my education, for my good grades, food, shelter and the list goes ON AND ON.

But some people are not as blessed as I am. Many are suffering. Things are going on in their life. You know, the people we pass by every single day can help us reflect on the things we miss. Such as my following story:

*I had just taken bus 35 to Rhea's house for HHLT. I decided first to get load for my cellphone since I never have minutes on my cell and I guess it was time to get some. After I bought load at the Rogers Store there, I walked to Rhea's. But as I walked, I could hear metal ringing. Hollow metal. As I walked closer, the sound of sulking and crying could be heard. I turned the corner and somewhere in the distance, I was facing the back of a postal box. Behind it, a woman I had never seen before was standing there with shopping bags all around her. The woman seemed to be getting her mail from the box. Pretty normal, right? I thought so too. I assumed it wasn't in her direction where the crying and sulking was coming from. But as I got closer, I could tell that the crying WAS coming from behind the box. As I stepped onto the sidewalk where the postal box was, I saw a woman, beaten and battered (not litterally but it seemed as if she was tired) crying and sulking. Her face has flushed of all hope. She had such agony in her face and I could see that. She was reading a letter. At times where I looked back to see her, she was kicking the postal box.

I know that I didn't know what her situation truly was. But for all I could know, she could have just been fired from her only job that supported herself and her kids. She could have just had a family member die that was truly close to her. But why a letter? Why there and then did she open the letter? Why didn't she wait till she got home to open the letter? Why was she kicking the postal box? Something did not feel right. It was not just an emotional "Oh I can get over this" situation. If it were, why was she showing such agony, such sadness. So I decided to ask if she were alright. I stood there, a puny 14 year old kid asking a 20 something year old woman if she was alright. And all I got back was silence.

Now I seem to regret my decision to walk away right after. I could've done something for her. Could I? I prayed for her, everyday since. My mind's been thinking since, What happened to her? How could it be that bad that all hope from her face was gone? Could I have done anything to help her? Why did I walk away?

As well, it felt as if God wanted to me experience this. The night before, the online Mississauga Transit Ride and Click was not working. But the morning of HHLT, it was working. My mom had said she could've driven me. But when it became an hour before HHLT, she said she couldn't and I had to take the bus. I also probably did not need to get load for my phone. But why did I feel the sudden urge to get minutes on my phone on the bus ride? Coincidence? I think not.

Some people will disagree with me and say, Oh this is just a coincidence. Or they'll say, "The woman wasn't actually as sad as you say she was. I think you're just overexaggerating." But I could just tell she was truly sad.

This whole experience just made me reflect on alot of things. People are going through many challenges in their life. It was perfect timing especially that this week is Holy Week, where we revisit Jesus' suffering on the cross, his passion, his agony, his love just for us. Some people have just been fired and need to find a way to support themselves and their children. Some people as I said, lost a family member close to them. My grandpa right now is going through an important surgery. He has a blood clot somewhere on his body and his doctors have already stated that the clot has already reached a dangerous, almost fatal status. I cannot imagine my grandpa, the same person who introduced me to basketball, to golf and to much more, would die. Some people are going through a hard breakup from a relationship, where the relationship meant alot to them but somehow they fell apart. Some families may have to be deported out of Canada because they don't have the proper paperwork. Many people take up their cross daily just as Jesus did. They go through alot of suffering, for themselves and for the people they love. It just made me think alot that we have so much to be blessed for. We are so blessed to not have to carry this heavy cross for now. We are blessed that we have friends there to look out for us and help us grow. And we are truly blessed that Jesus loved us so much that he would go through all this suffering for our sins. That he died on the cross for us so that our sins may be forgiven and we won't feel as much pain.

Happy Easter guys. =)
Angelo Mateo.