Labor Day Musings

According to the Department of Labor website, first Labor Day celebration was held on September 5, 1882 in NYC to celebrate the "creator of so much of the nation's strength, freedom, and leadership — the American worker."  Over the years other municipalities followed suit and had Labor Day celebrations.  It was finally in 1894 that Congress passed an act declaring the first Monday of September as a legal holiday. 

It seems to me that Labor Day is generally seen as the unofficial end of summer.  The focus is usually on picnics, family gatherings, and one final hurrah before the "real work" of fall begins.  In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries each municipality would have a Labor Day parade usually followed by a picnic complete with games and sports for the children and adults.   I don't know of any towns in our area that do that now. 

Summer isn't officially over until the autumnal equinox (September 22) but as the day after, it does seem as if the climate has already changed and we are already into fall.  All those who were out of town during various summer vacations have returned: The adults are noted by the sights and sounds of honking (and gestures) of speeding cars.  The college students are noted by the sights and sounds of large packs of students walking to and from class (and parties). The neighborhood children are noted by the sights and sounds of games (and arguments) playing on the street.  The silent sanctuary that we enjoyed during the summer has been shattered. 

And that is okay.

The summer is a wonderful opportunity for impromptu gatherings, spontaneous trips and a laid back attitude. I think it is important to treat the summer time as if one is on holiday- to have a relaxed schedule. But as with too much of even a good thing, it gets old. By the time Labor Day rolls around, I am ready for a change. I am looking forward to a schedule and routine. 

Fall is my favorite time of year. Coming on the heels of summer and all the restoration that summer (hopefully) has brought, it seems as if it is the best time for being productive, creative and open to new possibilities.  I wonder if that is why the original celebrations were chosen in September?   As much as the labor unions wanted to celebrate the workers, it was a good rallying cry to gear up the workers for the last quarter of the year. 

Each fall, I regroup and rewrite my goals for the year.  It is an appropriate time to reflect on what I thought might be accomplished and to realistically revise what I can.  Usually I look at that list and what I haven't completed.  In honor of the original intent of labor day, I think this year I will reflect on what has been accomplished so far this year.  I don't know about you, but I can be pretty hard on myself- in all that I do and say professionally and personally.   I can give others lots of slack, grace and compassion but for myself- forget it. 

In celebrating the American worker, the creators of Labor Day were also giving the workers a full day to rest from their labors. I think one of our modern problems is that we never let our minds rest. We feel that we have to continually keep moving, keep innovating, keep working harder in order to keep up. Of course, no one really knows the true definition of "keeping up". In honor of the original intent of labor day, I am also going to (try) truly rest from my labors or at least for one day.

What about you?  As you move into the fall season, have you had a chance to rest from your labors?  Have you celebrated your accomplishments?  Whether that is through your job, your home, your social interactions, or your family?  Just showing up and being present might be accomplishment enough. Or knowing when no response was the best response in an emotionally charged "discussion". 

This week  take some time for Labor Day.  Celebrate all that you have done so far in 2016. And then, give yourself permission to rest from your labors.

Happy Fourth of July!

Happy Fourth of July.  What does the fourth mean to you?  An extra day of the weekend?  A time for gathering with family?  A day at the beach or lake?  A day of reflection on being an American? 

In this election year it seems that the idea of patriotism seems changed.  I know that I am embarrassed by the political coverage especially from other countries and their media sources.  With all the name calling and hateful speech one wonders if we can ever agree about the meaning of the fourth of July or what our country represents and of our American freedoms. 

I have always loved the stories of our founding fathers.  What I find incredible was their foresight, sacrifice and courage.   Of course, I might be coming from a western European, WASPy background and thus feel in agreement with their philosophy.  But I think it is more than that.

When I went to Ellis Island and read the stories and accounts of the newer wave of immigration, I saw the principles and ideals from our founders at work and still being upheld.  Ours is a country of deliverance and freedom - one can come to our shores and have a new start.  One can come and freely practice one's religion.  One can speak one's mind about all sorts of subjects.  One can put the past behind and turn to a new beginning. 

One of the costs of freedom is responsibility.  Just like we tell our children- you earn freedom to do things on your own by being responsible and showing that you can handle it. 

As free citizens we have a responsibility to those who are also part of the country's collective. Just as I have rights, so too does my fellow American.  That means that I am respectful of others.  I allow them to freely speak and offer opinions just as I do. That means I am willing to get involved with self-governance; from the very least of voting to more involvement of civic matters. That means I am a good steward of my country and its resources.  That I am willing to sacrifice some of my personal freedom (time, talents, resources) for the greater good of the freedom of all. 

What about you?  Have you always lived in America?  If not, what was your experience?  As an American do you feel patriotic?  If the American Revolution was happening today, what side would you be on?  The British?  The rebels?  Or would you not be involved? 

"May it be to the world, what I believe it will be… the signal of arousing men to burst the chains.. and to assume the blessings and security of self-government.  That form, which we have substituted, restores the free right to the unbounded exercise of reason and freedom of opinion. All eyes are opened, or are opening to the rights of man… For ourselves, let the annual  return of this day forever refresh our recollections of these rights, and an undiminished devotion to them.” 

Thomas Jefferson
June 24, 1826
Part of the last letter he wrote before he died. He was declining an invitation to come to Washington, DC for the 50th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. 

Leap Year

There seems to be flowers for other holidays, so I purchased a small bouquet for my desk.  What is recommended  for Leap Year?

Happy Leap Year! When I was a kid it seemed as if leap year was one of those notations on the calendar that was recognized and was talked about, not as anything special but rather an interesting footnote, kind of like Lincoln's Birthday.  The biggest concern was "What would you do if you had a birthday on leap year?  When did you celebrate?  More importantly, when did you get presents?"

Leap year was designed to keep the calendar year synchronized with the astronomical or seasonal year. Since seasons and astronomical events don't repeat in whole number days, in order to keep whole days in a calendar, an extra day is inserted every four years to keep things on track.  According to Wikipedia, "The same type of problem happens in the relationship between the day and the number of seconds in the day: If you divide the larger measure of time by the smaller, you do not get a whole number. Instead, the result is an unending decimal".  To prevent the calendar drift of half days, leap year was invented.  The "leap" comes from the fact that while a fixed date in the Gregorian calendar advances one day a week from one year to the next, in the following year of a leap year, the fixed date "leaps" over a day of the week.  For example, February 1 , 2013 fell on a Friday. The next year, 2014 it fell on a Saturday, then in 2015 it fell on a Sunday. In 2016 it fell on a Monday. Because 2016 is a "leap year"  February 1, 2017  will "leap" over Tuesday and will fall on Wednesday. 

The idea of leaping got me thinking.  What types of idioms  (or expressions) do you know which have leap in them? Here are some that I found:

"leap at a chance",  "leaps and bounds", "leap into someone's mind", "leap to conclusions", "leap at someone or something", "leap for joy", "leap forward", "leap out (of something)", "leap over", "look before you leap", "leap in the dark".

The one that I love is "leap of faith".  Two of the definitions of leap are to "propel one forward" and "to enter eagerly into an activity".  The idea that I am eagerly willing to enter into the activity that requires me to have some faith and that will propel me forward is encouraging and exciting. 

By nature I am not a risk taker.  I am a plodder and planner.  I have enough trouble leaping from rock to rock when traversing a small stream on a hike let alone leaping out on faith into a vast unknown of all the "biggies" in life- job opportunities, where to live, moving, marriage decisions, financial responsibilities of college and retirement.  Yet because they are the "biggies" I came to the conclusion long ago that there was nothing I could do to control them.  I had to have faith in something/someone bigger than myself and to believe that God's plan for me was much better than the limited one that I could foresee.  

As it is leap year, I am reminded of the times when big circumstances required me to make a leap of faith. Many times it was hard, kind of walking out onto a ledge and not seeing what is ahead or underneath you.  But I can honestly say that when I completely trusted God, I was never disappointed.  When I listened to His leading, my feet were on solid ground. 

But I am wondering if I am making the small, daily  leaps of faith?  Am I trusting God with the smaller things in my life as I trust him with the biggies?  If not, why not?  Certainly his track record is excellent.  Can I make that leap of faith that today, I am being propelled forward into an eagerly awaited activity?  Am I looking at my day with the expectation of faith- that what I am being called to do today, could be as mundane as walking the dogs, excites me because of the possibilities that await me?  Am I open to possibilities? 

 Do I trust God enough that whatever and wherever He calls me, He is faithful to provide me with what I need for the journey?   

What about you?  Have you ever had to make a leap of faith?  How did it work out?  

One thing I have noticed with my physical, rock leaping "skill" on hikes- the more I do it, the more sure-footed I become. I have noticed that the more I make those spiritual leaps of faith, the more eager I become to see what awaits me and what is on the other side.