KFC asked me to give away 11 buckets of their fried chicken. In line with their SoGood campaign, they gave me the chance to make people feel good by sending KFC love their way.

I sent the first bucket of chicken to my maternal grandparents who have spoiled me all my life and have taught me the true meaning of unconditional love.

The second bucket went to my paternal grandmother, who I will forever idolize for her strength and wisdom.

Bucket number three was sent to the woman we all call Mamsy, my way of thanking her for her kindness and generosity.

I sent bucket number four to my editors and publisher at Anvil— Karina, Gwenn, Ani, Joysh— people who made my lifelong dream of seeing my book in a book store come true.

The fifth bucket went to my driver and his family. I thought it would be a nice treat after the patience he has shown me and my crazy schedule changes.

The sixth bucket of KFC went to my friend Jason who has been bravely battling brain cancer. He inspires me every single day with his courage, his sense of humor and his unwavering passion for life.

Bucket number seven went to my friend Mike who is, without exaggeration, the best mountaineering guide you will ever find. (Once, when it was wet and freezing in Mt. Pulag, he went from tent to tent, serving us our freshly cooked dinner of chicken teriyaki, buttered vegetables and hot steamed rice.) He and his wife Karen recently had their first baby Basti and they asked me to be one of his godmothers.

I sent bucket number eight to Rock Ed Founder Gang Badoy-Capati who has devoted years of her life to trying to make a difference and inspiring other people to do the same. She was then in the middle of working on their multi-artist album tribute to Jose Rizal.

I thought it would be fun to play KFC genie— so I asked people on Twitter who wanted a bucket of KFC. I got replies within seconds.

Bucket number nine was sent to my friend Magic, who takes awesome photos.

Bucket number 10 went to Rosa, a friend I first met years ago when we were both fervently keeping online journals (we both have returned to blogging— she writes about her life, I’ve been writing about nail polish).

Bucket number 11 went to my old college classmate Jojo, whose sneaker collection made me drool even back then.

For me, the best part was knowing how the bucket of chicken became a part of their day. Some buckets came during working hours and were shared with colleagues, some were enjoyed by whole families for dinner, others became a treat after an exhausting day.

I relished each tweet, text and e-mail I received from the bucket recipients. Some said I made their day but the truth is they made mine.

Sometimes a bucket of chicken isn’t just a bucket of chicken— it’s a great way to say “Thank you,” “Good job!”, “How are you?”, “Hang in there,” “I’ve been thinking about you,” even “I love you. ”

The chicken surprise made the people on my KFC bucket list feel good— but I felt even better.