A Father’s Day Tribute: 24 Years of Longing, Love, and Gratitude

Today is Father’s Day—June 15th, 2025.

But for me, Father’s Day doesn’t come just once a year. Over the past 24 years since my father passed away in 2001—the Year of the Snake—I’ve carried him in my heart every single day. Coincidentally, this year, 2025, is also a Year of the Snake. The cycle of time turns, but my longing remains constant.

It’s been nearly a quarter of a century, yet I still dream of him often. In those dreams, I sometimes see him, but never clearly. His face is always slightly blurred, like a photograph fading with time. We talk, or at least I think we do, but the words slip away when I wake up. I cannot remember them, just the feeling—warmth, comfort, love.

Perhaps that’s what truly matters: the feeling that he is still here with me in spirit.

My father endured so much hardship in his life. He carried the weight of being both a father and a mother to me. Life was never easy for him, and yet he gave me the best he could. He was like a fence around me—strong, protective, unyielding. He stood firm through storms, shielding me from the worst the world could bring.

There is not a day I don’t miss him. I wish I could tell him everything: about the life I’ve built, about Fenceful, and how everything I do is rooted in the strength he instilled in me. I hope, wherever he is now, that he’s in a place without pain or fatigue—a place filled only with peace, warmth, and happiness. That’s what he deserves.

I never had a mother growing up, and my father filled that void with everything he had. He worked harder than anyone should ever have to, just so I could stand tall. I owe him more than I can express in words.

To my father:
Thank you for being the foundation of my life.
Thank you for being the fence that kept me safe.
I miss you endlessly.
I hope you’re resting, smiling, and finally free of the burdens you once carried for me.

Happy Father’s Day—today, and every day.

— Bob Wang
Founder of Fenceful.com