On Labor’s Day

In honor of Labor Day 2021, I’d like to salute the word.

Here’s to:

Honest work and the people who take pride in it.

Parents who teach their children the value of effort and who aren’t afraid to let them take risks.

Men and women who work until their task, and not necessarily their shift, is complete.

Earned sweat.

The gritty kind of pride that swells in the wake of a job well done.

Teamwork.

Just and sustainable compensation.

A safe working environment.

The human capacity to try just a little harder each day.

The self-improvement that naturally follows.

Happy Labor Day and thank you to people like my Pap, a coal miner, my grandma, a store clerk, my grandpa, a butcher, my dad, a football player turned businessman, my mom, a teacher, and all those admirable people who show us how to earn the paycheck and honor the job.