Labor Day

Labor Day is a day we celebrate the contributions of the labor force. It is a day we honor American workers. Many workers get the first Monday of September as a holiday from work. When attached with the weekend, some people enjoy a 3 - 4-day weekend. 

The day is celebrated in various ways. Some family or friends gather to barbecue. Some like to sleep late. Some prefer to go shopping and continue contributing to the economy. Unfortunately, the retail workers at the stores in which they shop do not get to celebrate this holiday. Neither do many other Americans, like first responders, medical personnel, and many others. To those that do not get to celebrate this holiday due to having to work, I thank you.

This Labor Day weekend has not been great. Many people are recovering from last week's hurricane. This week we see another approaching hurricane causing many to worry. Allergies have me under the weather, but nothing compared to those who have been stuck in hospitals having surgery.

Labor Day weekend does bring excitement for a lot of people. Football games that matter begin to take place. While Summer is not over, we see Fall starting to sneak in a little here and there. Don't believe me, check the shelves at your local stores and count the items with Pumpkin Spice flavor. Nothing like overdoing a flavor. How many Fall and Halloween items are already in the stores? I have already been to one store with Christmas stuff for sale. Never too early to prepare, I guess.

Soon the weather will not be so unbearably hot, here in the south. It makes you want to be outside a little more. The tree in my front yard is always the first tree in the neighborhood whose leaves change colors and fall off. I see that has already begun to happen. 

The world does not stop because of holidays. Life goes on. Good things will happen. Bad things will happen. Season come and seasons go. Only God remains the same regardless of how we try to manipulate him into what we want. 

As you enjoy your holiday or even if you have to work, treat those to whom you come in contact with love. It does not matter if you agree with them. Treat them with respect. Jesus spoke to people with whom the religious people would never speak. He loved them despite their background. He turned no one away.  He did not agree with many of their personal choices, but he loved them and wanted them to be set free. If Jesus loved the unlovable, who are we not to love each other. 

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

“It’s the most wonderful time of the year.” At least, that is how the song goes. Usually, the holiday season is full of excitement and anticipation. The end of the years brings us Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Eve. In my immediate family, it also brings three birthdays and two wedding anniversaries. This year also brought a college graduation. It is normally a great ending to the year. The season is full of good times, but it also has its issues. This year has had its share of the good, bad and ugly.

THE GOOD: Getting to celebrate anything with family is a wonderful time for me. I love my immediate family and my extended family. Not everyone can say that! We celebrate the holidays when our schedules will allow. Celebrating Christmas/Thanksgiving on a weekend before the actual holiday does not take away from the season for me. It is not about the food, the gifts, or the traveling. It is about being together.

THE BAD:  We can always find something about which to complain. While shopping, people shopping can be rude. Traffic becomes a problem. Stress can get to elevated levels. Waiting until the last minute to shop and not being able to get the one gift that would make the holiday better for someone can leave us feeling unaccomplished. We must take the bad with the good. The bad makes the good seem even better. Try to remain calm in any situation. Remember that everyone else around you are trying to accomplish the same thing as you. Treat others, as you want to be treated.

THE UGLY: This year’s Christmas week was not great.  Four days before Christmas, my dad passed away suddenly and unexpectedly. Four days later, my stepmom had a major stroke. The holidays brought many tears. My dad was my hero. I loved him dearly. He was funny, smart, always prepared, generous and loving. He was a great man and a better dad. We cry not for the dead, but because we will miss him.

The good that comes from the ugly is that you find out that people really do care about you.

Life does not end. Death is just a part of life. Life continues. The day that my dad died, a baby was born to someone I know from work. The new baby, Claire will never replace my dad. I may never meet her. However, we will remember his life story. Her story is just beginning.

Let us continue to look to the future. Do not be stuck in the past. Celebrate what you have. Remember what matters. Focus on the good even in the ugly times.

May you all have a Happy New Year!