LOVE LETTERS

Love Letters

"You give but little when you give of your possessions. It is when you give of yourself that you truly give."- Kahlil Gibran

That is the moral we learn from "The Gift of the Magi" by O'Henry, a story where a poor couple foolishly sacrifice their most prized possessions for each other, only to learn their gifts are useless. The husband sells his watch to buy combs for his wife's hair, while she sells her hair to buy a chain for his watch. They both did it out of love, but what if there had been a better way to give of themselves? What if they could have shown their love without losing anything?

What if we could do the same? And not just for each other, but for the world- spread love to perfect strangers. 

That is why the eleventh grade classes at the Antofagasta International School decided to give the world a "gift of love" in the form of the written word. Each student wrote a love letter to a complete stranger. The letters were filled with good wishes and support. The idea behind this came from moreloveletters.com. It is a site that encourages you to write strangers love letters with what you would like someone to say to you. Maybe you remember a bad day, and want to tell someone what you wish someone would have told you. Maybe you want to share an inspirational quote to enliven someone's spirit. Or maybe you just want to make someone's day a bit brighter. 

The student's envelopes had eye-catching decorations that practically begged to be picked up. Along with their teachers, Ms. Milena Blanco and Ms. Sarah Wright, the students went to the mall to disperse their good wishes amongst the shoppers. Letters were left on park benches, store fronts, even ATMs. The students watched. They waited. And the envelopes did their jobs. Curious shoppers stopped. They bent over. They did double takes. What was this beautiful letter addressed to them?  Some laughed. Some smiled. Some kept walking and left the good wish for another shopper. But for a moment, all had experienced something out of the ordinary, an act of a stranger's love. All had been given a gift, and the gift givers lost nothing in return. Mission accomplished. One final thought, a quote from Hill Harper: "I believe that love expands. As you give love out, it's received and reciprocated- and it grows. That's the beauty of it." Thanks to the 11^th Grade students that embraced this project and made it happen with enthusiasm and above all LOVE!!!  

CARTAS DE AMOR

"Entregas poco al entregar tus posesiones La verdadera entrega sucede al entregarse uno mismo."- Kahlil Gibran

Esta es la moraleja de la Historia de O’ Henry, "El Regalo de los Reyes Magos” Una historia donde una pobre pareja sacrifica sus más preciados tesoros, solo para darse cuenta  que sus regalos de nada sirven. El esposo vende su reloj de oro para comprar unas peinetas para el hermoso pelo de su esposa. Mientras que ella vende su pelo para comprar una cadena para el reloj de él. Ambos lo hacen por amor, pero y qué tal si hubiera otra manera de regalarse? Qué tal si se pudiera mostrar amor sin perder nada?

¿Y qué tal si todos pudiéramos hacer lo mismo? Y no solo por los cercanos, sino por el simple hecho de esparcir amor en todo un mundo de perfectos extraños.

Esto es lo que llevaron a cabo los alumnos de III Medio del Colegio Internacional de Antofagasta. Ellos decidieron entregar una palabra de amor. Cada estudiante escribió una carta bilingüe de amor a un desconocido. Las cartas estaban llenas de buenos deseos y apoyo incondicional. Esta idea viene de moreloveletters.com. Ésta es una página web que incentiva a las personas a escribir cartas de amor a otros con lo que te gustaría que alguien te dijera a ti o solo con la intención de hacer el día de alguien un mejor día.

Los sobres donde iban las cartas eran muy atractivos. Junto a sus profesoras Ms. Milena Blanco and Ms. Sarah Wright, los alumnos se dirigieron al Mall y dejaron sus cartas en los bancos, los mostradores, los cajeros electrónicos. Los estudiantes esperaron y observaron.  Los hermosos diseños de los sobres, arte realizado por los propios alumnos, cumplieron su cometido. Los clientes se detuvieron, se inclinaron a recogerlas, las tomaron con timidez para luego devolverlas a su lugar y dar la oportunidad a otro más osado, rieron, sonrieron. ¡¿Qué era este hermoso mensaje que estaba dirigido a ellos?! Por un segundo todos experimentamos un momento extraordinario, un acto de amor al prójimo y no perdimos ni pedimos nada a cambio!!!!

Una reflexión final, Una cita de Hill Harper: "Creo que el amor se expande. En la medida que ofreces amor, este se recibe y se devuelve , y crece. Esta es la belleza del amor!!!”

Gracias a nuestros estudiantes por asumir este proyecto con tanto entusiasmo y sobre todo… AMOR!!!