Good-bye, My Love, Good-bye

Oh God, I understand that everything under your sun must have a beginning, a middle, and an end. I do not understand how someone I love to dearly can be snatched so suddenly.

Fifty-nine years of life / Thirty-six years a wife; a woman full of grace and compassion; a beautiful woman on the inside and out; a remarkable woman of academic achievement; a faithful and playful companion to one husband; a caring mother to two sons, and an adoring grandmother to one small boy.

Your name is KIM HYUN DEOK FOREMAN, and your name says it all. KIM is the most widespread family name in all Korea. Kim means “gold” and so you are - precious, pure and incorruptible; a wife of gold to me.

HYUN is a name given by your mother to each of her six children. Hyun means “wise” and so you are. Although at times distracted or confused - upon reflection - you always returned to wisdom; You were a wonderful counselor to me.

DEOK is your unique given name. Deok means “virtuous” and so your are - a Proverbs-31 woman par excellence. In grade school your teachers supposed “Hyun Deok” to be a boy, for what girl could carry a name like “wise & virtuous? But you, my love, carried it well for 59 years. Your moral compass kept me going in a heavenly direction.

FOREMAN is the name that you adopted with joy. Foreman is my family name, and from our wedding day you understood that by becoming one flesh with me, it was right for you to share one name with me. I marvel at how you acquired my family name, yet cleverly, you maintained your own identity.

You are truly unique. There can be only one KIM HYUN DEOK FOREMAN is the annals of history. Perhaps your one-of-a-kind name will help me to locate you in the Kingdom of God and in the reign of Christ. I will be looking for that remarkable woman of gold, wisdom and virtue, who for 36 yeas was my earthly companion and of one flesh with me.

I am so grateful to God that you did not suffer pain in your last moments. I miss you so much already. My heart is breaking. I love you and I am confident that I will see you again.

Your Husband, Chris