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Mark Bautista mourns the passing of dad
Mark Bautista mourned the death of his father, who passed away on January 23.
"That fearful moment has finally come. My mom called my brother this morning, January 23, 2020. She didn't call me first thinking that was working or I was doing something and might get distracted," Mark wrote in a post on Instagram.
"My brother woke me up in my room and said Mama was crying because Papa was in the hospital and was non-responsive. I started to feel anxious. For my mom to cry like that, it could only mean something serious," he added.
The singer-songwriter said they quickly bought a flight to Cagayan de Oro, booked a Grab and while they were in the car, his sister called and broke the news.
"She broke the news and confirmed that papa was already gone. Her voice was shaking. My brother and I broke down. No words, just tears," he narrated.
Mark shared he felt it was "too heavy to take. I've never felt that feeling before."
He said as much as he wanted to question God, he reached a clear understanding about his father's passing.
"I'd like to think that my father's life is already a blessing. Maybe this is already God's full extension of his life since this is already his 12th main attack."
"God has spared him so many times and maybe his time is already up. God can only do so much. We have to let go and accept everything."
After everything his father has been through — "a series of false alarms and recoveries the past few years," the theater actor described — Mark thought he was prepared.
"But no one can ever be prepared when you hear the news for the first time that the person you love is indeed gone," he continued.
"It's heartbreaking," he added, saying this is the first loss in their immediate family.
After speaking nothing but good words about his father and saying how much his father loved his mother, Mark shared all the things he learned from his dad.
We learned to be compassionate and generous to people because that's just who he was.
Papa taught us how to be good to people and treat people with respect. (I always thought maybe he has Japanese blood) because of his travels abroad when we were kids, we got a taste of imported goods and other things. We learned the value of time, family and the sacrifice you make working abroad to support the people you love.
We will miss Papa everyday for sure, but that's life. Everything will just be a memory. Acceptance and understanding God's way will always play a major role in handling loss.
He ended his note reminding everyone to cherish every moment they have with their loved ones.
"My friends, take care of your loved ones. Show them more love and give more time because you'll never know what will happen next. Today will just be tomorrow's memory Treasure the moment. Live it. Love you pops! Till we meet again."
We're sorry for your loss, Mark. — Jannielyn Ann Bigtas/LA, GMA News
