Labor Day is known as a day to recognize the dedication and hard work of all those who labor but also the symbolic end of summer to most Tennesseans
By ROY W. HARRIS
Wow – where did the summer go? I think we all feel that way when the reality of Fall begins to set in with arrival of the Labor Day weekend.
The tradition of celebrating Labor Day has a history spanning approximately 120 years.
It became an official national holiday in 1894 during President Grover Cleveland’s administration. The bill took only six days to make it through both houses of Congress and to the President’s desk.
Labor Day
Labor Day has come to symbolize much more in our modern world than its original purpose of recognizing the dedication and hard work of those whose labor helps make our country strong. Labor Day is the symbolic end of summer to most Tennesseans. This is also the time of year that many sports fans have been waiting for. College football teams in the National Collegiate Athletic Association usually play their first games the week before Labor Day. The National Football League usually plays its first game on the Thursday following Labor Day. Let’s not forget another biggie which impacts all of us. To stay in style, Labor Day is the last day when it is permissible to wear white until Memorial Day weekend roles around at the end of May (ha).
In a previous issue of Wilson Living, I extolled the wonderful benefits of Vacation Time. Work also has great value. Work is nothing new and is part of all our lives.
We’d rather play than work … or would we? The first mention of work and our involvement in it is found in the very first book of the bible, the book of Genesis (which literally means book of beginnings.)
Most of us are familiar with the biblical story of Adam and Eve created by God and placed in the Garden of Eden. We have seen the commercials of Adam being tempted to eat the forbidden apple and the idea that paradise provided freedom from many things including work.
If you look at that story a little more closely I think you’ll find something very interesting. God provided a wonderful environment in the garden but he assigned man the responsibility to work and take care of it. The bible basically says that God placed Adam in the Garden of Eden not only to enjoy the benefits of paradise but also to work in and take care of the garden.
Spring and summer weather in middle Tennessee seemed to be a bit unusual this year. A warmer than normal winter gave way to a searing hot and dry June followed by a wet July. I was truly amazed when lawns turned brown prematurely and plants, shrubs and small trees struggled to survive. Even more amazing was the transformation the July rains brought with an exceptionally green August. Gardens which seemed to be doomed in June not only survived but thrived by the end of July.