Remember them...

The church bells rang 29 times so we knew it was final & the end of the line. Now 29 miners are at heaven's gate with coal silt dirty faces asking "Is it to late?" When God replies with a grin "No my children come on in!" They place their mining lights gently on heaven's floor then God said "Job well done. leave your boots at the door" R.I.P GUYS. xx

Today the world lost 29 men. Men that were at work, doing their job, doing what they needed to do to support their families. These families stood on the surface of Pike River Mine as the second explosion went off, and from there it was nothing but devastation as realisation came about that their men would not be coming home.

This is something I try not to think about. Something I try to ignore. This can't happen in todays world, with all the precautions and legislation and everything else that goes into the running of a coal mine.

Unfortunately it CAN happen, and has happened. And we'll probably never know why.

As I kissed my husband goodbye tonight as he went off for night shift (in a coalmine), I shuddered. I cannot imagine losing him. I cannot imagine how the families in NZ are coping right now. This is horrific and something I have ignored and not thought about as I waved my husband off each day of our nearly ten years together. Its kind of hard to ignore on days like today when its all over the television, radio, internet, everywhere.

Please hug your husbands tonight, regardless of their job, they work hard in industries that can be dangerous and they do it for us. Kiss your children as these men won't get to do that again. Cherish eachother and your families, life is too short for all the bullshit and craziness we let overtake our lives. Realise just how lucky you are, we are.

Remember the men of Pike River Mine. I will never forget them, and the look on my husband's face today makes me realise that neither will he. xx