Celebrating Labor and Your Transformation

Labor Day used to feel like another long weekend

A cookout, football practice, and a new school year

I see it differently now

Labor isn’t only about what you do

It’s what it creates within you

The effort, perseverance, and struggles

They’ve all shaped us into who we are

When I think back to the hardest seasons of my life

Open-heart surgery, septic shock, kidney complications, heart attacks,

Hospital stays, alcoholism, incarceration, and personal development

I realized each one required a different trajectory

Not only with the mental toughness that was necessary,

It was a journey of endurance, faith, and surrender

Those experiences changed me

It built strength I didn’t know I had

Humility I didn’t want to learn

And gratitude I never want to lose

And it reminds me

The fruit of your work isn’t just what you produce

It’s in how it transforms you

This Labor Day, I hope you’ll rest, reflect,

And be proud of not only what you achieved

But for who you’ve become along the way.