“How Could You Go Ahead of Me?”
In 1998, there was an excavation of a tomb in South Korea, and they uncovered the mummified body of a 30-year old man named Eung-Tae Lee. On his chest, there was a letter from his pregnant wife, who was grieving his death.
“June 1, 1586
You always said, ‘Dear, let’s live together until our hair turns gray and die on the same day.’ How could you pass away without me? Who should I and our little boy listen to and how should we live? How could you go ahead of me?
Whenever we lay down together you always told me, ‘Dear, do other people cherish and love each other like we do? Are they really like us?’ How could you leave all that behind?
I just cannot live without you. Please take me to where you are. I cannot forget in this world and my sorrow knows no limit. Where would I put my heart in now and how can I live with the child missing you?
Please look at this letter and tell me in detail in my dreams. Look closely and talk to me.
When I give birth to the child in me, who should it call father? Can anyone fathom how I feel? There is no tragedy like this under the sky. You are just in another place, and not in such deep grief as I am. There is no limit and end to my sorrows that I write roughly. I believe I can see you in my dreams. Come to me secretly and show yourself. There is no limit to what I want to say.”