Daughter Shares Her Chinese Dad’s Unique Way of Saying ‘I Love You’ to Her Mom

Laura Tang’s father is not unlike most Asian dads who are less inclined to express their intimate feelings verbally.

As with most traditional Asian parents like him, however, what he lacks in constantly saying “I love you,” he makes up for with gestures of affection.

In her recent post on the Subtle Asian Traits Facebook group, Tang shared how her dad’s loving gestures for her mom have taught her that actions indeed “speak louder than words.”

She wrote: “I just want to say how loving and incredibly sweet my dad is. He’s kind of like your typical Chinese dad that rarely says ‘I love you’ BUT he shows it through his actions.”

Tang also shared a photo of a special footpath her father had built for her mom and explained how it highlights her dad’s own way of showing his sweetness.

“My dad collected rocks from our outings to the beaches and rivers so that he could make my mom her very own foot acupressure reflexology path. I have not seen these around except in community parks in Hong Kong and I remember my mom saying how much they had helped relieve her severe feet/leg pain (due to wear & tear of being a working mom turned as a stay at home mom and taking care of 4 crazy kids ❤️).”

“If my dad has taught me anything, it is that actions speak louder than words 🙌,” she added.

Many netizens found the post relatable, noting how the dad’s gesture was very endearing.

In an interview with NextShark, Tang revealed that her dad was quite shocked at the reaction her post received in such a short time.

“I don’t think he truly understands the power of social media but that’s okay,” Tang noted. “He was very happy and proud to know that his own DIY reflexology footpath seemed to have helped spark a discussion amongst young people. Particularly young people who are in relationships.”

According to Tang, her dad thinks simply saying “I love you” is hollow “without real action behind those words.”

“Growing up my dad rarely said ‘I love you,’ and I assume that’s a part of a generational thing,” she added. “But he’d show me and my three sisters love by cooking us specific things for dinner or asking what foods we’d like to eat whenever we come home to visit/ have family dinners. Asian parents and food!”

Tang further shared that, being children of Chinese immigrant parents, she and her siblings know how their parents sacrificed their individual hopes and dreams so they can have the opportunity to reach their own hopes and dreams.

“If that isn’t real and selfless love… I’m not sure what is,” said Tang.

Feature Image Courtesy of Laura Tang

Share this Article