This question reflects an emotional struggle and a difficulty in expressing oneself that is common in East Asian cultures. Whether you love or hate someone, you often end up bearing the burden alone.
We Love Our Parents
Parents’ love for their children is as fundamental as the law against murder. Yet, expressing and receiving love can feel frustrating.
“We do this for your own good,” “After all we’ve done for you, this is how you repay us?” “You’ll understand when you become a parent…”
Adults often express love through actions but struggle to voice it.
Children can’t find a moral argument to counter this love, so they are forced to accept it. Lacking social experience, they may think all families operate this way.
As a result, some feelings of love become tangled and remain unexpressed.
We need to redefine love.
We know our parents love us deeply, but cultural constraints can make it hard to express.
If we consider ourselves more enlightened, let’s take a step forward. Expressing love outwardly also helps us reconcile internally.
We Love Our Partners
Before becoming partners or in the early stages of a relationship, we often say “I love you” frequently. But what happens after five or ten years?
Do we still love each other?
Yes, but much of that love seems buried deep inside.
We start to feel that saying “I love you” every day becomes awkward. It feels like that person will always be there, whether we say it or not.
Maintaining a relationship often involves sacrifice, and the appreciation of each other’s efforts can easily be overlooked.
What kind of affection do we really want? A new restaurant for a birthday celebration, or a heartfelt “Thank you, I love you”?
We Love Our Friends
We acknowledge that friendships are often temporary. In school, we have close friends we go to the bathroom with. At work, we bond over venting about our boss. When we move, we find new friends in our neighbors.
But after graduation, job changes, or moving away, our contact naturally decreases. Being in different environments means fewer shared experiences.
We become accustomed to people coming and going, and learning to cope with this is a life lesson. But during those times together, did we genuinely express our love and gratitude?
“Friends are the family we choose” has a profound meaning.
After laughing, crying, and going through ups and downs together, we hope to hear, “Thank you for being my friend. I'm grateful we’re still friends.”
Friends are living proof that “we are never alone in our struggles.”
Even warmer, many temporary friends eventually become lifelong ones.
The Meaning of a Card
In the U.S., people love giving greeting cards to express gratitude, concern, and congratulations in various situations. Walk into an American stationery store, and you’ll see walls filled with unmailed wishes. Family, friends, teachers, colleagues, neighbors—everyone can find a card that fits.
Every holiday, promotion, housewarming, farewell, or baby delivery is represented, celebrating all the meaningful moments in life.
They openly express gratitude, joy, sympathy, and bittersweet feelings for all occasions.
This is the real experience of life. This is the genuine emotion we encounter.
Yet, our struggle to express ourselves has caused us to miss many opportunities to love and be loved.
This loss is irreversible.
Don’t underestimate the power of words; sometimes, they can be lifesaving.