Happy 36th birthday

Today HeeJun would have been 36. It’s his 5th birthday in Heaven.  I wonder if he would have salt and pepper hair now.  Would he still work at BOA?  Would we still live in the house we built?

In his 30 years of life this side of Heaven,  he taught me that it’s okay to be myself even if it’s not cool.  It’s okay to be silly.  He taught me to work hard,  so I couldn’t play hard.  He taught me that Dr.  Pepper is the best drink ever,  and that life is always better with a dog.

In his precious 9 years as a Christian,  he taught me that having a relationship with Jesus is most important and brings the most joy.  He showed me that following Jesus and His commands brings real life.  He knew that Jesus should be the center of all things and sought His Truth in all circumstances.

In our 5 years of marriage he taught me that marriage is hard,  but the beautiful kind of hard.  He taught me the importance of prayer in marriage and that marriage is a beautiful and sacred thing.

In his death,  I learned that I can do hard things.  I learned that time doesn’t heal all things,  Jesus does.  I learned the import of family and close friends.  I learned that there is hope after death,  and that with Jesus,  death is not the end.

Happy birthday, HeeJun.  I’ll be eating Korean and drinking lemonade thinking of you.