A truly special gift!
Netizens were touched by the viral Facebook post of Dennis F. Gerodias, a 29-year-old teacher from Brgy. Dolho, Bato, Leyte, who received a heartfelt token of appreciation from his Grade 1 Badjao student in honor of World Teachers’ Day.
In his viral Facebook post, Teacher Dennis shared a touching moment when his Badjao student, John Bryan, approached him early in the morning before class. John Bryan handed him a small bouquet of flowers, explaining that it was his gift for Teachers’ Day since he didn’t have any money to buy something else.
Photo courtesy: Dennis F. Gerodias (FB)
Teacher Dennis was deeply moved by John Bryan’s gift, but what touched him even more was discovering the reason behind John Bryan’s bare feet.
He recounted, “This morning, one of my students, a Badjao, approached me and said, ‘Sir, I don’t have a gift for you today because we don’t have money, but I picked flowers to give to you, sir.’ I noticed that he didn’t have slippers or shoes, so I asked him, ‘Why don’t you have slippers?’ He replied, ‘I was in a hurry, sir, so I wouldn’t be late for class to give this to you.’ (Almost every day, I always noticed this child going to school barefoot.)”
“At that moment, I didn’t know, but my tears fell knowing the child’s initiative just to give me flowers. This might be the most beautiful way to start my day. The type of gift doesn’t matter; what’s more important is the effort the child made to express his love for his teacher.”
Teacher Dennis expressed his gratitude for his Grade 1 students, saying, “I didn’t expect to receive anything from the kids, but the Grade 1 learners really prepared something for me. However, this one (my Badjao learner) is truly worth sharing.”
“They are the reason why I prefer to teach. They are the reason why I would willingly sacrifice time, energy, and money just to provide them with the knowledge they deserve. Despite the hardships and struggles of my chosen path, I still love my students dearly and my teaching profession. Happy Teachers’ Day to all.”
Photo courtesy: Dennis F. Gerodias (FB)
The teacher also stated a promise, saying, “PS: If I have money soon, I will buy them slippers or shoes that they can use for school. Saon wala paman jd tawn huhu, basin muabot ra. Grasyahe intawn ko Lord hehehe.”
