Labor Day

Happy Labor Day to all!

Labor Day is supposed to celebrate the workers. I think, though, the definition of 'workers' has changed drastically over the years.

Don't get me wrong. I have done my fair of toiling. I started earning money when I was nine years old. I was proofreading and delivering my mom's newspaper. I then sold name tags to anyone who wanted one for about fifty cents each. Then I was allowed to start typesetting for my parents and doing design, layout, and graphics. When I was a senior in high school, I only went to school half-day so I could work for my parents. It was, by no means, a cake walk.

Right out of high school, I wanted to go to Germany. My brother was in the service there and my boyfriend's dad was from there. So . . . I worked half a day for my parents, traveled to Kingston to work for another graphics person, trained (without pay) to be an aerobics instructor for several hours, then worked for UPS til about eleven or midnight EVERY day. Germany was AMAZING!!! When I moved to Georgia, I worked for several printers and when I was left with many bills, compliments of boyfriend #2, I got a second job as a hostess - where I met my husband. I had my daughter and continued to work. When I was not out at a printer, I was doing odd jobs for neighbors making decent wages. After having my son, I still continued to work. I was a mad woman.

We moved to Florida and I found another print job and also a home party business. Vic and I played musical children and things were good. A little hectic, but good. When the kids started school, we made the decision that I would only ever work part-time so someone would always be home with them after school. Miles was diagnosed in 3rd grade and my working basically stopped. I tried, for a while, to work from home and do graphic things. I wrote two children's books and peddled those for a while. I began to volunteer.

This is where I learned that although volunteering pays nothing . . . it is LABOR just the same in every sense of the word. And believe me, I labored! I labored in their elementary school, their middle school, their high school, the Children's Dream Fund, and for All Children's Hospital. Motherhood in itself is a LABOR too frequently brushed aside!

I am now back in the work force. Laboring again . . . for pay. Continuing to volunteer. I applaud those who work. Who stop at nothing to keep themselves busy. Don't wait for handouts, for someone else to give you something. There is no job that is 'beneath' you. Find work and . . . LABOR! Give whatever you find 110% of yourself! THAT is real labor! The labor of self worth and self value.

Labor to be the best you you can be!