It is said that a father is his son’s first hero and his daughter’s first love. Last Sunday was Father’s Day and we started the day by attending the morning mass at a church. The church was packed and we had to sit at the chairs that were placed outside the church. Going to Church with my autistic son Jonathan has been a hit-or-miss affair. There are many times, he would not be able to sit still and I will walk with him as he roamed the church’s compound. This morning, Jonathan exhibited good behavior and I was very thankful. Other than the one occasion that Jonathan requested to go to the toilet, he was able to remain seated throughout the mass. When the choir sang, Jonathan would stand up and sway and move his body to the music. Some other people can be seen starring, but that’s Jonathan's response to music and also his way of worshiping.

I am very proud of Jonathan's excellent behaviour in Church.

Autism is a condition that affects Jonathan’s ability to communicate and interact with others, as well as his ability to process sensory information. That also means that he may exhibit weird or odd behavior in public.

Upon reflecting on the fact that I have an autistic son, my journey as a father could be quite different from others. With Jonathan’s condition, doing simple ways daily can be rather tough. I think that I would have a tougher time as a father. But there are similarities as well. All children whether they are special or not need a father’s attention, time, and love. Having a special child would however require much more time, effort, patience, and love. As a father, we all want our best for our children. Although Jonathan’s potential may be limited, I wish that he can live a fulfilling and enriching life.

After mass, we went to a food court that is located in a shopping complex for a simple father's day lunch. The food court has so many stalls selling a wide variety of dishes.

The entrance to the food court.

The modern decor of the food court makes the place very cozy.

Besides local delicacies, the food court also serves food from other countries like Indonesia, Thailand, and Korea.

There are also stalls selling beverages, juices, and desserts.

I ordered tomato fried noodles, which is a famous street food from Sarawak. This dish is unique to Sarawak and tomato sauce is added to the noodles. The noodles are very crispy, the way I like it. Chicken, fish balls, prawns, and vegetables are added to the noodles.

Due to his dietary restriction, I ordered the Cantonese fried Kueh Tiaw (rice noodles) for Jonathan. The ingredients for the Kueh Tiaw are quite similar to the noodles except for the sauce.

Victoria was not feeling too hungry and so she opted for the fried chicken with fries.

My wife Roselind ordered the curry chicken with rice. It does not look too tasty according to her, it was tasty.

It was a simple meal but it was a special occasion as the meal was paid for by Victoria. In fact, I had chosen this venue as i did not want Victoria to spend too much money. Thank you, Victoria for treating Daddy to a special lunch.