🇺🇸 What Labor Day Means When You’ve Spent a Lifetime Working
Labor Day is supposed to be a pause—a long weekend set aside to recognize the contributions of American workers and ideally, give them a well-earned break.
Some of us apparently missed the part about the break!!
After a lifetime of working, slowing down doesn’t always come naturally. Work becomes more than something we do. It shapes our routines, gives structure to our days and, when we’re fortunate, provides us with a sense of purpose.
My work has changed considerably over the years. I’ve been a nurse, a stay-at-home mother and a real estate broker. Each chapter has required something different from me, but they have all had one thing in common: other people were counting on me. Perhaps that’s why it can be difficult to simply flip the switch to “off.”
This Labor Day weekend, while others are gathering around the grill, heading to the lake or enjoying one final unofficial weekend of summer, I’ll be showing homes to two different buyers.
Apparently, my celebration of labor will include actual labor!! 🤣
But here’s what I’ve learned: slowing down doesn’t necessarily mean doing nothing. Sometimes it means becoming more intentional about what we agree to do. It means recognizing which responsibilities still bring us satisfaction and which ones we’ve simply carried for so long that we’ve forgotten we’re allowed to put them down.
At this stage of life, I don’t want to stop being productive. I still enjoy helping people, solving problems and doing work that matters. I simply want to leave a little more room around it—for family, friendships, travel, laughter and the occasional afternoon when absolutely nothing needs my attention. I’m still learning that part.
Maybe Labor Day isn’t only a celebration of the work we’ve done. Perhaps it’s also an invitation to consider what we want our relationship with work to look like in the years ahead. Mine will still include weekend showings—but definitely followed by something delicious from the grill!
Has your relationship with work changed over the years—or are you still learning how to slow down, too? Have a wonderful Labor Day weekend!
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