Aya's Father's Day Tribute: Remembering Love Spoken Aloud

On Father's Day, Taiwanese artist Aya (Liu Hanyu) took to social media to honor her late father, sharing cherished memories and intimate moments from their relationship. She described her father as a man of few words, whose love was not often spoken but deeply felt through his actions and care for his daughter. It was her father, she revealed, who ultimately taught her the courage to express the words "I love you."

Aya recalled that her father was 50 when she was born, and his advanced age made her fear losing him from a young age. As her career began to take off, her father faced repeated hospitalizations due to health issues like myocardial infarction and kidney failure. This difficult period spurred Aya to do something she had never done in her upbringing: verbally express her love to her father.

She recounted one evening, while the family watched television, she summoned the courage to sit beside him and say, "Dad, I love you." The room fell silent. Her father paused, then quietly turned back to the TV, while her sister teased her and her mother playfully asked what she was doing. Despite her embarrassment, the moment solidified her belief that some words, if unsaid now, might never be spoken.

From that day on, Aya made it a habit to call her father daily, always ending their conversations with "Dad, I love you." Initially, her father would respond with silence or a simple "Okay, I know." Gradually, his responses became warmer, eventually including a happy "Okay, okay," and one day, he even initiated the phrase himself, saying "I love you" to her, a moment she cherished above all others. When he passed away, Aya found solace in having frequently expressed her love. Faced with the decision of whether to resuscitate him, she understood that further medical intervention would only prolong his suffering. Instead, she held him, whispered, "Dad, I will take good care of things at home, don't worry. Go peacefully," kissed his warm cheek, and stayed with him until his final moments. Aya expressed gratitude for having overcome her shyness to say those words countless times, believing he heard and remembered them all. She used the occasion of Father's Day to remind everyone not to assume there will always be a "later," urging them to express their love promptly and bravely.