A Canterbury woman is using her grief to educate others about farm safety.
Harriet Bremner's life was changed forever when her partner was killed on their farm in January.
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James Hayman died instantly in a machinery incident in January 2017.
"Nothing prepares you for something like this.... it's the most devastating thing that can possibly happen to a person when you don't get to say goodbye," said Ms Bremner.
But Ms Bremner is channelling her grief into creating books.
"It's how I deal with it ... I write ... and I just really don't want anyone else if possible to have a missing seat at the Christmas table."
The primary school teacher has already penned one book about the unlikely friendship between James and their dachshund Poppy.
"She followed him everywhere. She was often seen down the front of his jersey on a cold day."
Now Ms Bremner's released a second book called Be Safe, Be Seen, which is all about farm safety.
"And not presuming that because we put something like a hi-vis vest on that we're instantly bomb-proof," she said.
Since 2013, 105 people have died in agriculture. Seven of those were children under the age of 13.
And while the majority of deaths involve adults, Ms Bremner is directing her safety message at kids.
"If a simple slogan like, 'Hey dad, have you got your thinksafe brain switched on today?' is going to make dad think twice about where he's reversing, or how he's driving, then that's great."
It seems the message is getting through to her students at Amuri Area School.
"I owe it to James' legacy to make the most of my life and help other people out around me."
Both Ms Bremner and Poppy are doing that one page at a time.
Newshub.
