A coal miner worked deep underground for months at a time and only got to visit home twice a year.
Every time he came back, his wife looked happier than a lottery winner and dragged him straight to the bedroom before he could even unpack.
One evening, after another exhausting “welcome home,” the miner collapsed into bed, gasping for air.
His wife smiled and whispered,
“Darling… how do you still have this much energy after working in a mine all day?”
The miner grinned and said,
“Because, sweetheart… I don’t spend all day digging coal.”
She raised an eyebrow.
“What do you mean?”
He pointed toward the kitchen.
“Most of my job is operating machinery.”
She laughed.
“You’re impossible.”
The miner smiled.
“Besides, there’s something else.”
“What?”
“I’ve been underground for six months.”
“And?”
He whispered,
“Do you have any idea how much fresh air I’ve been saving?”
His wife burst out laughing.
“You really missed me, didn’t you?”
The miner pulled her closer.
“Every single day.”
She smiled.
“Even when you were thousands of feet underground?”
“Especially then.”
“Why?”
He looked at her lovingly.
“Because every time the work got exhausting, I thought about coming home.”
She kissed him.
“So that’s where you got all your energy?”
He nodded.
“Exactly.”
The next morning, the miner woke up early.
His wife looked at him suspiciously.
“Where are you going?”
He grabbed his boots.
“Back to work.”
She frowned.
“Already?”
He smiled.
“Don’t worry.”
He kissed her forehead.
“I’ll be back in six months.”
She smiled.
“Good.”
He walked toward the door.
Then she called after him,
“Darling?”
He turned around.
“Yes?”
She grinned.
“Next time, bring more fresh air.”
He laughed.
“I’ll bring a whole truckload.”
And as he drove away, he smiled to himself.
Working deep underground was hard.
But knowing someone was waiting for him above ground…
made every dark day worth it.
