Today marks the fourteenth Father’s Day that I have had to spend without my father. You might find it a bit repetitive to see me counting the years every time this day comes around. However, for me, counting these years has become a comforting habit—one that I embrace as my most cherished practice in life.

Why do I love counting the years? Because time precisely measures how long it has been since I lost my dad and began missing him so deeply. Time neither lies nor hides; it honestly, sometimes brutally, tells us whether we are living our lives truly and meaningfully, without running away from our genuine emotions and feelings.

Dad, this year I want to share an update about mom. I know it will make you happy, because you loved her so truly and always wished for her to live a good, happy life. The wonderful news is that mom has fully recovered from the hip injury she suffered last year when she accidentally fell while exercising.

Over the past year, she has been living with our brother, adjusting to her new environment. Admittedly, there were more than a few times when she acted a bit difficult, unreasonable, or even a little wild. But that is life—it forces all of us to keep learning, no matter who we are. Dad, you were always a master at compromise, the best way forward in life’s difficulties. Mom has never been someone who compromises easily, yet she has gradually learned to embrace it.

Dad, you spent decades by mom’s side and couldn’t change her stubborn streak with your own gentle ways. But don’t worry—life has its own way of teaching us what we lack. When the time comes, we all submissively learn and grasp what life is truly about. Life isn’t easy for anyone, but the more willing we are to learn, the smoother the journey becomes.

Dad, I promise you that we will take the best care of mom, ensuring her days are as peaceful, easy, and happy as possible.

Dad, I love you, and I miss you so much.