Linda Kessery

Hanh and I met ,and fell in love, over the phone. Her mortgage banking job required her to call my company in New Jersey so I could tell her if flood insurance was needed for each property her company financed.

We never just talked about business. One day, when she was very blue, I felt God smack me on the back of the head and heard Him say "Give her your home phone number." Honestly, this happened and I never stopped thanking God for it.

Months later, on the very first day we actually met, we married.

I was stupid, spoiled, set in my ways and a mess as a human being but Hanh always saw something worthwhile in me. On top of that my family wasn't very welcoming. Our romantic love story was too strange for them. They thought it was just me making another boneheaded decision that they would somehow have to pay for. Hanh proved them wrong.

We fought a lot during the first years of marriage and, perhaps for brief moments, we both thought we had made a mistake. Love prevailed. Thanks to Hanh, I stopped smoking pot, I stopped abusing alcohol, and I quit smoking cigarettes. I honestly don't know what good I ever was for her, but I can tell you she saved my life.

Although Hanh considered herself Christian, my mother asked her nonetheless to read aloud a statement proclaiming Jesus Christ as her savior and Hanh happily did. From that day forward, Hanh consistently proved herself to be a better Christian than I and led me, by example, to a better life.

Through Hanh, my life wasn't just saved. Through Hanh my life had meaning and purpose. Through Hanh my life was worth living. Through Hanh, and only through Hanh, I found true love, I found laughter and I found joy.

Now she's gone and I want to die with her. I want to quit. I won't because Hanh taught me better than that. Hanh would tell me that there is still laughter and joy to be found and she would be furious with me if I gave up.

For each of you sharing the pain, I feel I ask you to imagine Hanh before you now. She would tell you that she is fine and not to worry about her. She would remind you that we will all meet again. This separation is only temporary and fleeting compared to the eternity we will share together. She would tell you that anything you could possibly feel guilty about is forgotten and that all is forgiven. She would tell you that she loves you, and she would hold you until you stopped sobbing.