Remember those still working on Labor Day

Labor Day is a kind of unique holiday.

An oft-heard refrain with other days is that the meaning can get lost in the celebration. Memorial Day can become about the unofficial start of summer instead of remembering fallen soldiers. How often do we think about George Washington or Abraham Lincoln instead of a good furniture sale on Presidents Day? For some, Veterans Day is time to catch up on old war movies.

But Labor Day celebrates work, and it rewards you with a day off. The very act of not working is how you honor it, whether you’re getting in a last day at the pool or throwing some hot dogs on the grill. Sleep in? You’re celebrating. Veg out? You’re doing it right. There’s pretty much no way to not do Labor Day right.

Except if you’re working.

There are those people that the world needs to keep going whether there is a day off or not. Police still respond to alarms. Nurses still take care of the sick. Corrections officers maintain the safety of our prisons, EMTs show up at your house in an emergency and people make sure you can get the milk, bread and diapers you forgot you needed until the last minute.

We understand. After all, some of us are still writing stories, taking pictures, laying out pages, uploading content to the web and keeping the press rolling even though it’s a holiday.

So enjoy your day off. Let the laundry wait. The grass is going to keep growing whether you mow today or not. Wring every drop of relaxation or excitement or just plain fun you can out of Labor Day before you had back to work Tuesday.

But while you do, remember that there are still people working hard on the holiday to keep the world spinning. Raise a perfectly grilled hot dog in their honor. And then maybe take a nap.

This story was originally published September 3, 2017 at 10:26 PM with the headline "Remember those still working on Labor Day."