When Alyssa Mendoza got an email at 3 am, she couldn’t believe her eyes. The sender of the email was her father, who had passed away ten months earlier.
She was so overwhelmed she couldn’t bring herself to open the email at first. “I received a scheduled email from my dad," Alyssa said. "At first, I was scared to open it because, well who wouldn’t be scared to get and open an email from someone who passed away 10 months ago."
But two days later, she finally did.
My dad’s love for my mom IS definitely immeasurable.
Alyssa Mendoza on Facebook
The e-mail contained instructions for me for their anniversary celebration this year.
"Alyssa, follow my instructions in this e-mail completely and carefully. I'm sending this to you in the off chance that I'm not in my right mind or worse, gone. I hope not,” the email read.
In the email, Alyssa's father had written out instructions for her and her mum to celebrate what would have been her parents’ 25th wedding anniversary.
He wanted to commemorate their love
Alyssa, who lives in the Philippines, said her dad's love for her mum was 'immeasurable' and that love was reflected in the message, sharing 'all the words she needed to hear from him to be okay'.
In a post on Facebook she wrote, Alyssa said: "They were supposed to celebrate their 25th silver wedding anniversary together today but God had other plans."
But even if they’re not physically together, even though he’s no longer here, he was still able to surprise and make my mom happy. Not even death could stop my dad from loving my mom and showing her how much she meant to him.
Alyssa Mendoza on Facebook
Alyssa followed her dad’s instructions to a T, which included buying flowers, food, and a trip to the salon so his wife could do "whatever she does there on the weekends."
He even gave specific instructions on how to deal with his wife's responses at each stage, as he expected and predicted her reactions.
He ended the email with: "BE GOOD AND BEHAVE. DON'T DO ANYTHING STUPID."
"Follow all these instructions. Thank you. I love you baby."
An emotional surprise
Alyssa applied all the instructions for the wedding anniversary celebration after her mum went to bed, so she’d wake up and see everything all ready, from photos of the family to balloons and John Legend's "All Of Me" playing in the background.
As well as the anniversary celebrations that day, he had also contacted and paid for a florist to deliver flowers to his wife for the coming years on every birthday, Valentine's Day and anniversary.
Even though I lack sleep, the joy I saw in my mom's face made everything worth it.
Alyssa Mendoza
Celebrating the people you love has no limit or boundaries
Alyssa's touching story reveals the power of love. Yes, her father had passed away but he made sure to remember his wife and family. Ultimately, the experience was a positive one for her mother.
Of course my mom cried because she misses the love of her life but I could see how happy everything made her because she knew that everything was planned by my dad.
Alyssa Mendoza
When you care for someone, you can find ways to transcend the boundaries of your situation, no matter what they are, to celebrate them. Her father's incredible surprise helped the both of them continue to make memories of him, even beyond his death.
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