Among these,
Angel’s 2014 anniversary letter stands out as a luminous testimony of her
devotion, written at a time of both profound love and growing vulnerability. It
captures the essence of their union: faithful, courageous, and tender beyond
words.
This letter
is preserved as one of the most heartfelt documents of their lifelong journey.
André’s
letters are contained in a book published in 2025 under the title of Letters
from André to Angel Gingras (1969-2025) – A Chronicle of Love Across Years and
Continents.
Angel’s Letter – January 1, 2014
January
1, 2014
My LOVE, my
ALL, my ANDRÉ,
Today is our 45th
Wedding Anniversary. I greet you with an unconditional LOVE and say, “Happy
Anniversary.”
On this day,
the only gift I ask—one that matters more than anything—is that we may
celebrate many more anniversaries together, remembering what we promised each
other on January 1, 1969: “Together Forever.”
From the very
beginning, our love has risen to extraordinary heights, deepening with each
passing year, growing with an exponential strength that has never ceased. On
our 30th anniversary, you wrote to me:
“Today, I love
you thirty times more than the first day. And the first day, I loved you
infinitely.”
On our 40th
anniversary, you wrote:
“Life is
mysterious; who could have known that I love you more now than on the first day
I met you in Manila? Who could have known that after so many years of profound
happiness, of realizing our dreams, there is still room for more joy and more
projects before us?”
At our 43rd
anniversary, you wrote:
“Forty-three
years of happiness; I love you more than ever.”
I cherish
these words more than anything in the world. You know that I feel and say the
same to you—perhaps differently, but with the same depth.
I LOVE YOU,
and you alone. I love you to the nth degree. I want nothing more
than for you to be happy, healthy, and comfortable. To me, you come first—above
all and everything. Our PremAA believes in: “We shall
overcome.” And yes, “Que chaque minute nous rapproche!”
We are
ONE—inseparable. We share life in every sense. Our oneness is built through so
many layers, from so many angles. We are complete only when we are together.
Our sharing—talking, listening, confiding, discussing, arguing, laughing,
crying, sitting, watching, walking, looking, sleeping—has made us ONE: united
in mind and body, in thoughts, aspirations, and ideals.
We stand side
by side, complementing and supplementing each other. We depend on one another.
To me, you are the only person in the entire universe on whom I can rely
completely. You are my center of excellence, my inspiration, my conscience, my
confidant, my protector, my guide, my health, and my happiness. You are my
spiritual strength, my psychological strength, my intellectual strength, my
emotional safety, and my physical safety. In one word, you are MY LIFE.
The proof of
our LOVE is our wonderful, beautiful, loving children, whom we cherish. From
the beginning, we invested in them with values, and today they possess
admirable character. They are well-balanced, well-mannered, educated, and
well-settled with their families. The love, joy, peace, and support they offer
us and each other gives us immense happiness and peace of mind. We are blessed
with lovable grandchildren. We wish our children nothing but the very best. We
love them without limits and are deeply proud of them. We also enjoy warm,
harmonious relationships with our extended families and friends.
We always
organize family gatherings—birthdays, Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving, Mother’s
Day, Father’s Day—bringing together our children and grandchildren. You take
the lead in planning, preparing, and serving, while I do the little things.
These gatherings offer precious opportunities to share, love, laugh, and keep
our family united, supporting one another in times of need.
I learn so
much from you in so many ways. As you often say, “Love does not consist in gazing at each other, but in looking outward together in the same direction." Our
shared goal has always been LOVE and PEACE, and we pursue it by helping the
poor. Walking this path hand in hand, we have known the love and peace that
service brings. We endured patiently our many separations over the years. Our
love and loyalty have remained strong, unshaken, never needing doubt.
Our love for
the poor has taken form through SOPAR, Bala Vikasa, the Foundation, Jana
Vikasa, the BV Trust, PDTC, and CSRB. Through these, we have witnessed lives
transformed—spiritually, psychologically, intellectually, socially,
economically. The sustainable results that overflow from your insight,
planning, writing, counseling, and tireless work cannot be measured. You are my
conscience and strength. We are a team—but you are the team leader.
You often say
that you are the thinker and I am the doer. Perhaps that is true in some
programs, though we exchange roles from time to time. We have walked hand in
hand through every chapter of our life: EAPI in the Philippines, our first
apartment and row house in Hull, Saigon, Delhi, 20 des Érables, and now
Ragueneau and Lac Profond. You always took the lead—with patience and care—in
every purchase, plan, construction, repair, car, and maintenance. You know well
that I am “nil” in these matters. Your simplicity in eating, and your habit of
taking charge of the cooking during family gatherings, has made me “nil” in
cooking too.
Your
hospitality is extraordinary. You welcome so many groups from India, often for
extended stays, and you sacrifice your privacy and comfort for their sake. You
performed beautifully during our visits to India—meeting Bala Vikasa staff,
families, communities—graciously receiving their generous, though sometimes
overwhelming, hospitality.
You gave your
fullest strength to your professional life in service to the poor during your
years at CIDA, never taking a single day of sick leave even when you had earned
it. After retirement, you have given even more of yourself—voluntarily—to SOPAR
and Bala Vikasa, continuing your mission of helping the poor to help
themselves.
We are happy
and proud that our children are following in our footsteps, standing tall with
us in our mission. You are their guiding light. This is our Gingras–Singareddy
legacy, which they will cherish and continue.
My LOVE, you
are simple yet strong, silent yet eloquent. You are straightforward and honest,
standing firmly for what you believe in, speaking truth courageously. You have
always said you reach God horizontally—through serving the poor. Your life is
indeed one in union with God. You constantly empty yourself for those you love:
for me, your ANGEL; for our children—ERIC, SUNITA, and MARC; and for GOD in the
poor.
On this 45th
Anniversary, my deepest, most profound wish is simply to be with you
always. We are ONE. But the best part of us… is YOU—my ANDRÉ. Our LOVE
is unique, intense, and infinite. As we always tell each other:
“We will manage.” “We shall
overcome.” “Together—Forever.”
Words cannot
express everything I want to say.
Now I am speechless… numb… empty… LOST…
Nive na PremAA, Nive na Jeevam, Nive
na Sarvam.
(You are my Love, my Life,
my Everything.)
Yours
forever,
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