Beyond Dear You: The Quiet Strength of Women Who Carry Hope

The promotional poster for the 2026 film Dear You. Source from wenweipo.com

The power of women is not necessarily vocal and obvious, and can be hidden from view at all times. It may exist in the form of a mother, who is tired, yet continues to take care of her family, as well as a woman, who has been keeping her promises and helping others for so long. The same power exists in the daily lives of so many women.

The film "Dear You" which came out in 2026 tells a story using the letters and money remitted by overseas Chinese back to their homeland in the form of “qiaopi”. The movie revolves around the life of Zheng Musheng, who has traveled to Nanyang in order to find his luck, while his wife Ye Shurou remained at home taking care of their children. After the sudden death of Zheng Musheng, Xie Nanzhi decided not to tell Ye Shurou the truth and began to send letters and money in Zheng Musheng’s name to help the family of Ye Shurou for so long. Years later, the grandson of Ye Shurou traveled to Thailand to look for his grandfather and found out the truth about letters.

A scene from Dear You showing a woman reading a qiaopi letter. Source from Sina.com

Despite the vast distance between them, Ye Shuru and Xie Nanzhi became connected via letter writing. Whilst one of them took care of her child on her own back at home, the other fulfilled her promise in the foreign land. Their stories illustrate the power of women which is hidden within patience, self-sacrifice and kindness.

The power of women is not limited to the characters in the movie; in real life, there are plenty of cases of women trying to find a balance between their familial duties, personal stress and helping others.

Regina F. Lark, an expert with a PhD in Women’s History, has stated in her TEDx Talk 'Emotional Labor and the Myth of "Women’s Work" that women have the invisible burden of taking care of housework, organizing family matters and emotional labor such as caring for the children and solving household affairs when someone from their family is experiencing problems.

Regina F. Lark speaking about women’s invisible household and emotional labour in a TEDx talk. Source from TEDx Talks

However, for Lim Jia Yi, a young university student aged 20 years old, strength in females goes beyond physical strength. "To me, strength in females means being resilient and pushing on through difficult times. It is not only physical but also emotional strength and taking responsibility and showing kindness."

Her mother has always been her main source of encouragement throughout her life. Every time she gets worried about her academic performance or future endeavors, her mother is there to lend an ear to her and inspire her never to surrender. "My mother always tells me that every difficulty comes with an equal amount of chance to learn," explains Lim Jia Yi. "I am always motivated by her encouragement."

Tan Xin Yu, another 20-year-old university student, feels that the sacrifices made by women inside the family do not receive the appreciation that they deserve. “There are many families in which women have to take care of the children, handle household work, and help other family members; however, their efforts are overlooked.” According to Tan Xin Yu, this is so because the activities are performed on a day-to-day basis, and hence, the time and efforts involved are overlooked.

Tan Xin Yu feels that her mother has been her biggest inspiration. It was her mother who instilled the value of hard work in her and also taught her that success is about more than just doing well; it is about being a good person.

Both these students are of the opinion that gratitude towards women should not be restricted to only Mother’s Day. Youngsters can show their gratitude by saying 'thank you', by being proactive about sharing household chores, by spending time with their mothers and by respecting their decisions. According to Tan Xin Yu, the foremost step towards showing gratitude is not to take anything for granted from the women.

Ding Yuan, aged 51 years, feels that the strength of women lies in their dedication towards fulfilling family responsibilities. She opined that one of the toughest phases of her life was when she had to manage work along with household chores and raising her children.

“Sometimes I just felt utterly exhausted in terms of my body and mind,” she explained. “But what kept me going was concentrating on my family and taking things step-by-step.” Whenever her kids were little, she used to always take the backseat in terms of prioritizing spending money on herself and her needs and focusing more on the needs of her family members like paying the bills for schooling and extra-curricular activities for them. “I feel satisfied to see how my child grows and progresses.”

It is noted by Ding Yuan that her family might not always thank her for the efforts that she made because she can actually feel their love through their deeds. Her husband, child and close friends are her emotional support. She wishes that young women should know that they do not have to handle problems by themselves only. “Problems in life are inevitable but they don’t last forever,” she concluded, “‘Take it easy and ask for help.’”

With the exchange of several letters that transcend time and place, Dear You unveils the long-concealed sacrifices of these two women. Real-life women may not have these letters, but their strength lies in everyday actions.

It could be encouragement from a mother when her children are feeling helpless; it could be putting oneself behind again and again for the sake of the education of their children; it could be the sacrifices they make on behalf of their family; it could also be someone who, after being completely tired out, listens to their families.

Yet, recognizing the strength of women should go beyond recognizing their endurance and their sacrifice. It would also entail accepting the roles they bear, supporting their goals, helping them when they are tired, and celebrating all the contributions they make.

Nobody has the right to prescribe how women’s strength should be. It could be strength in the midst of trials, or even kindness to others; it could be strength by caring for others, or asking for help; it could be in the life of every average woman. Most importantly, it should be recognized.