The quiet love that carried us home
My Dad has never been the type to give long speeches or openly express his emotions. He rarely says “I love you,” but his love has always been clear, spoken through his actions, not words.
He’s the kind of father who shows love quietly. He stayed up late until I arrived home safely, showed up for every hatid-sundo, no matter the hour, rain or shine. Back then, we didn’t even own a car, which made those simple rides even more meaningful.
He also expressed his love in the smallest ways. Whenever we were home, he would go out of his way to cook our favorite dishes (kulawo is mine) or surprise us with a bowl of peeled mangoes just because he knew how much my sisters and I loved them. Acts of service have always been his natural language of love.
These thoughtful gestures were only a glimpse of the greater sacrifices both my Dad and Mom made for us. Life wasn’t always easy. We faced our share of financial challenges, and I know there were worries and problems they carried quietly. Yet through it all, they made sure we never felt we lacked anything. My Dad always found a way to provide, not just for our daily needs, but for our hopes and ambitions.
He made sure we had the opportunity to study at a good state university so we could pursue our dreams and build a better future. Even when money was tight, he never let that be an obstacle to our education.
Now that I’m older and raising a family of my own, I see everything more clearly. The strength, the patience, the sacrifices—so many of which went unnoticed back then—are now deeply appreciated and cherished.
Even now, as each of us has built lives and families of our own, my Dad and Mom remain ever present. They offer their time, lend their help, and check in on us without fail. Dad is still there, sometimes offering to drive us around, cooking meals when we visit with our own little families, and doing all the quiet, thoughtful things that remind us we are still his children.
That’s the kind of love my Dad gives. It is unassuming, often unseen by others, but deeply and enduringly felt by those who matter most, his family.
Happy Father’s Day to the man who taught me that love doesn’t need grand gestures to be felt. It only needs presence, sacrifice, and unwavering care.
Geline Hernandez-Fenol is a service delivery manager at an IT company. She is the eldest of Gerardo “Gary” Hernandez’s three daughters.
