"All labor that uplifts humanity has dignity"
- Martin Luther King, Jr.
Like so many things this year, even Labor Day is changed. For a lot of us, it's another day at home, doing what we can and trying to stay safe, not just for ourselves, but for our loved ones.
One thing that has not changed is the meaning of Labor Day. Maybe this year we even realize it more than usual, because for some people there has been no staying at home and/or working from home. They have gotten up every single day and gone to work not just so we have health care, but so we have groceries, mail service, public transportation, trash pickup, etc. And yes, they are heroes, but they are mostly brave because the majority of these "other" workers have little or no choice.
So - even though many of them are working today - let's still keep a thought for the people who keep things going all of the time. For as awful as things are right now, they could be a lot worse if these Laborers didn't go to work.
Enjoy your day however you can, and remember to thank others.
8 comments:
This is a very important reminder, Bridget. So many people continued to work during this pandemic so that things did, in fact, remain normal. Mail delivery continued, garbage didn't pile up, and we could still get medicine and food we needed.
As my Senator from Ohio, Sherrod Brown always says, we need to value the Dignity Of Work.
amen
So true...our mailman was out today bringing us packages and we did a grocery pick up today too. The young man who brought us out our groceries said they had 8 people working on pickups and they had been there since 4 am. The store doesn't allow us to tip them which makes me very unhappy. If anyone deserves a tip those people do. I am so grateful not to have to go in a store and it's all because of them.
All of this! I am applauding from my corner of PA!
Wonderful post today Bridget. You have made some great projects lately as I have been reading back on your blog. Well done. Stay safe.
Speaking as one of those “essential workers” (I work in a grocery store part-time), I am grateful too... grateful that I did not get laid off, grateful that I get to leave the house and speak to coworkers and customers, grateful that my employer checks our temperatures, gives us masks, and encourages us to distance (even though that’s practically impossible). And most grateful for every customer that follows the rules, wears their mask correctly, remains polite even when we don’t have exactly what they want. Helping those people is a bright spot in my day.
Very wise words.
Great thoughts. We sort of forgot the meaning yesterday and zach was working in Mexico so that seemed normal too.
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