Everyone loves this 'umbrella dad' and his act of selfless devotion

An image of a father holding a umbrella out over his young son while allowing himself to get completely soaked by the rain is being shared widely online - presumably with a collective "aww".

The photo, in Queens, New York, and posted to image-sharing websites like Imgur, Reddit and 9Gag, has been published under a headline which simply reads: "Dads".

One description of it reads: "My dad wasn't around for me as a child, so I've got no role model. Can I be a good dad to my kid?" While another commenter points out: "But you see, dad is doing more than keeping him dry. He's teaching him how to put others before himself."

The picture of the father's selfless devotion has been viewed more than 3 million times and received thousands of upvotes on Reddit.

As they say: "Anyone can be a father, but it takes someone special to be a dad."

More: Boys and men of all ages respond to the word 'father'