Happy Labor Day! I hope that most of you are enjoying a relaxing and restful day off from work. Or perhaps you are one of the few people who are actually laboring on Labor Day. Either way, I want to wish you a happy holiday and offer you a different perspective about the word “labor” and Labor Day.
According to dictionary.com, the word labor is defined as “work, especially hard physical work”, or “to work hard, make great effort”. When most people talk about work, they usually express a negative attitude about it. The have given this word a negative connotation and associate it with something they “have to do”, but I want to suggest that you think of labor in a positive way as something you should be grateful to do.
After all, it is only through the hard work and tireless labor of our ancestors that we get to enjoy the freedom we have today. We achieve all of our greatest accomplishments in life with hard work. Just like a seed requires the pressure of the dirt in order to grow up into the sunlight and become part of the world, we also need work to help us build strength, character, self-esteem, and a greater appreciation for life. Yes, all work requires effort which may be challenging, but as my favorite personal trainer says, "if it does not challenge you, it does not change you".
So, I encourage you to take pride in your ability to labor and work. Whatever type of work you may do, know that it is truly a gift to give. To be able to move our bodies to create and build things, exercise our minds to develop ideas and art, and provide services to help others allows us to grow into the best versions of ourselves.
The name, Labor Day, really is an oxymoron, isn't it? We are given a day off from work in observance of the act of work. The idea for this holiday was started by the labor movement in the late 19th century at the height of the Industrial Revolution when the Central Labor Union in New York requested a “workingmen’s holiday". President Grover Cleveland eventually named " Labor Day" an official federal holiday in 1894, to pay tribute to the contributions and social and economic achievements of American workers.
Presently, Labor Day is always observed on the first Monday in September. For most Americans, Labor Day symbolizes the end of summer and is celebrated with outdoor parties, bar-b-ques, picnics, and athletic events. Whatever you do this Labor Day, please try to take time to appreciate and celebrate all of the hard work that built the strength, prosperity, and freedom that we enjoy in America today, and continue to celebrate the labor that you can do to improve both yourself and your country.
Healthy Wishes,
Katrina