There are days when the weather outside mirrors how you feel inside. Today was one of those days for me. The sky was grey, the air was damp, and my heart felt heavier than usual. Yesterday marked my mom’s third death anniversary, and while time has passed, the ache of missing her hasn’t faded.
I miss her every single day. The memories come flooding back, especially around this time of year. To distract myself and maybe lift my mood, I decided to log in to my
Facebook account. I didn’t expect anything extraordinary—just a few posts, maybe some funny memes.
A Message That Made Me Smile
And then I saw it.
“Congratulations to Ms. Roselle Toledo! You're the lucky cardholder who will receive an iPad Mini as a token for sharing your Smile story with us. We hope this little gift makes you smile.”
In that moment, my gloomy mood shifted. The sadness that had been weighing on me all morning gave way to a spark of joy. I had actually won an iPad Mini!
I’ve been a Citibank Credit Card holder since 2000. Over the years, I’ve politely declined offers from other credit card companies because I’ve never felt the need for another card. This was the first time I had ever joined a Citibank promo, and to my surprise, I won.
Honestly, I didn’t expect to win. I had been content with the Citibank Reward Points I’d accumulated over the years, which had already allowed my husband and me to purchase new shoes. Winning the iPad Mini felt like an unexpected bonus—a lovely twist in my otherwise melancholic day.
Why This Win Meant More Than Just a Prize
Here’s the part that truly touched me: most of the Reward Points I had earned came from paying for my mom’s chemotherapy treatments. That in itself was a bittersweet reminder. And then, the announcement that I had won came exactly one day after my mom’s death anniversary.
It felt like a gentle sign—a little nudge from above—reminding me that there’s always a reason to smile, even in moments of grief. Almost as if my mom was telling me, “Don’t be sad. I’m still looking out for you.”
Finding Joy in Life’s Little Surprises
Life has a way of surprising us when we least expect it. That day, an email and a Facebook notification transformed my sadness into gladness. It wasn’t just about the iPad Mini—it was about the reminder that joy can find its way into our lives even in the most unexpected ways.
Whether it’s through a thoughtful gift, a random act of kindness, or a stroke of good luck, these small moments of happiness are worth celebrating. They’re reminders to keep moving forward, to keep smiling, and to keep our hearts open to the good that’s still to come.
That day, Citibank gave me more than a prize—they gave me a reason to smile again.
