By: Elowen Gray
In a quiet room, with his mind beginning to slowly betray him, one man sat down for what might have been his final calling—to write. As the early shadows of memory loss crept in, he felt a gentle whisper from the Lord. A voice seemed to guide him, encouraging him to write down his story, to express gratitude while he still could.
This is not the story of a saint. It is not a tale of triumph or fame. My Fantasy Princess is something far more honest—it is the humble reflection of a man who lived through heartbreak, temptation, forgiveness, and the fleeting beauty of love. It is the first letter, from a man seeking peace with himself, and offering thanks to the God who never let him go.
Decades ago, in the mid-1980s, he met Lee—a young Filipina woman whose smile often warmed the coldest days. She wasn’t just a visitor; for one brief, golden month, she became his light. They danced barefoot on beaches, sang under the stars, prayed together in the towering redwoods, and walked hand-in-hand through sacred groves where God felt so close you could almost hear Him breathing.
The way he describes her is not one of idealization, but a genuine remembrance of the woman she was. He didn’t write to boast—he wrote to remember. He wrote to honor a girl who, in his words, “was beautiful not just in her face, but in her heart.” He writes of the incredible joy of holding her as they both thanked Jesus aloud, their prayers floating beneath the tallest trees on Earth.
But the story was always destined to be bittersweet. “We were lovers in spirit, not in flesh,” he wrote, describing those intensely emotional nights spent holding each other, both of them crying for what could never be. In their final hours together, Lee made an offer born of pain and love—a moment where most men might have fallen. Yet, he chose differently. With tears in his eyes, and a prayer on his lips, he said no. She would return home unspoiled. And as he put it, “I knew it broke her heart… but it would have broken mine even more to fail her when it mattered most.”
Was it love or fantasy? The question lingered in his thoughts. He was keenly aware of how life sometimes mixes truth and illusion. “Maybe she was just a frightened girl in a desperate situation,” he wondered. “Maybe she was too good to be true.” But no matter how many doubts crept in, one thing remained clear—his gratitude to the Lord for allowing him to experience a sliver of heaven in the midst of his otherwise broken life.
As his memory continued to slip, his writings turned into a letter—not to Lee, but to her imagined granddaughter. “Maybe you have a Lola in a nursing home somewhere,” he wrote, “read her my story. Let her be young and beautiful again, if only for an hour.”
In his final pages, it becomes clear: this story isn’t about desire or regret. It’s about the mercy of God, the redemptive power of choosing integrity, and the quiet strength of letting go. “God gave me the strength to love her, to cherish her, and to walk away,” he wrote. “He forgave me my sins, and He gave me peace.”
There was no grand reunion. No fairy tale ending. Life after Lee was quiet, simple—marked by faith and quiet service. Yet, he carried a hope that went beyond time and memory. “One day, when the Lord calls me home, maybe I’ll see her again… dancing on the beach, singing her Tagalog songs, forever young beneath God’s endless sky.”
In a world that often seeks perfect endings, My Fantasy Princess stands apart. It reminds us that sometimes the most beautiful stories are the ones that leave us with reflection… and save your soul. That God’s grace can reach you in motel rooms, in camper vans, and in the darkest corners of your mistakes.
And even when memories fade… grace never does.
It lingers—gentle, forgiving, and everlasting—just like the love of the Lord who writes our names in His Book, long after we’ve forgotten our own stories.
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Robert Anderson or any associated entities. The content is for informational purposes only and is not intended as professional advice.
