"A father's love will never fail you."
Going viral over the weekend was government employee John Mark Casiño's Facebook post. On Feb. 27, around 8:00 p.m., he came across a father and his son in Angel's Burger stand along Cogon Market, Cagayan de Oro City. "It was my first time seeing them there, even though I usually visit the place twice a week," he tells Manila Bulletin Lifestyle.
It was raining when he arrived, and there was a third person who was trying to help the two work on the son's Math assignment. "I realized he was only a local customer who lent his help when he hurriedly walked away as rain started to pour," he posted.
Father tries to help solve son's math homework.
When the two were left to finish the Math homework, Casiño overheard the father saying that he doesn't understand the Math problems. By chance, their eyes met, and the father took the chance to ask for help from him. "Without second thoughts I immediately offered my help and tried explaining the problem, discounting the fact that it was closing time and I had to be home."
The Math problems involved greater than, less than in fractions. In between explaining, the father revealed that he only got to finish grade 3. "When you look at it, my son and I are classmates." Casiño stayed until the three of them finished the son's homework and left the two to go home by then, but not before taking a photo of what just happened. He realized that "a father's love will never fail you. No matter what situation you're in, fathers or parents in general will always be there."
"The son is lucky, because despite the struggle his father is there to help, or at least tried. While a lot of educated parents don't have the time to teach their children, that father, on the other hand, only has his time to offer, and he offered it to his son's learning," he explains.
Touched by what he just witness, he explained to Manila Bulletin Lifestyle why he thought of sharing this experience on his Facebook page. "I never really thought of taking the picture or posting it because my act was almost irrelevant to the love the father showed. Before I left I took one good glance at them and I realized what a rare and amazing scene it was. So I took a photo, went home, and called my partner and told her about what had happened. I even cried while narrating the story. Something stirred within me, like I had to share my experience to show that father's love along with his struggle. The next thing I know, a lot of people connected to the narrative and I never expected any of their reactions."