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"What Labor Day Means to Me" by Ronnie Cooper

In the past year or so, Labor Day has taken on a new meaning for me. In the past, Labor Day meant putting away white pants and shoes until next summer. It meant the Jerry Lewis telethon and the start of college football season. All the teachers and students, including my son were going back to school. Patio furniture went on sale. Time was marked in colors and traffic patterns.

But in the last year my life crossed paths with one woman and one man, from two entirely different backgrounds, that have given me a new perspective on Labor Day.

The woman is fairly young, in her late twenties, early thirties and she is warm, bubbly, engaging and truly very sweet. She had been searching for a new position for some time and was feeling disengaged and unfulfilled at her last couple of positions. Finally, she was introduced to a new position that she found exciting, challenging, for which she woke up each day with energy and a bounce in her step. You could see it in her eyes, new hope and determination to do well. But, what truly moved me…what made this a life changing event, is when her parents wrote a note concerning her new job. It was short, simple and sweet. It said, “Thank you, for making my daughter so happy.” And, from that moment to this, it crystallized in my mind that my life at Headway could and often does have a profound impact on an entire family. Suddenly, putting away white pants wasn’t exactly the meaning of Labor Day any longer.

The point was driven home, however, more succinctly and brightly when I met a man who had been at the top of his career for over 25 years. He had honors, accolades and plaques accumulated over a lifetime of one achievement and success after another. Then, quite suddenly, his world was turned upside down. The company that he had built was taken in a hostile takeover. Life was throwing some vicious kicks and punches and he was deflecting them as best he could, but there were days you could see he was weary and hurting, although he never complained and he always kept fairly quiet about it all. I watched as people asked him about his situation, how could he have fallen so far, so fast. I saw how he would lower his eyes and softly explain that it all happened so quickly, without any advance warning. He was looking around for a way to get back to where he had been and the slope upward was a slippery as it had been coming down. Then, one day very recently he was given the opportunity to use his background, talents, skills and intellect once again in a way that was rewarding, rich and fulfilling.

And, what I take away from all of this is that Labor Day and my life at Headway is not about football season, or the changing seasons or patio furniture going on sale. It’s all about self-fulfillment. What I do at Headway is give people a chance to find themselves, to find dignity again when it feels it has been taken from them or lost. It allows them to feel good about themselves, to bring a smile to a father’s face when his daughter’s life has been brightened. To allow a man to feel that his life of achievement has begun anew.

There is no better feeling than knowing that I have a chance to do that every single day at Headway. Labor Day is the celebration of that. But we did buy some new patio furniture on sale, anyway.

"Labor Day Weekend - What it means to me." by Lori Singer

Ah, the sights and sounds of the long weekend in California. Even though our season in California doesn’t change with the Labor Day Holiday coming upon us, the start of school is here and the college temps we had working for us during the summer will be going back to school – most of them out of state. I’ve renamed this holiday the Un-Labor Day Weekend because I have Monday off and I won’t be working!!!!! I tell myself I won’t think about work this weekend, I won’t peek at my email (although I know I will peek, not because clients will have emailed me, but because I want to check to make sure that my ads are working and I have people to call in for interviews on Tuesday) and I will wait until Monday at noon to start thinking about the new month. I make this silent vow to myself – just enjoy!! This weekend of the year reminds me that we’re taking a turn in the corner of the year, the last weeks of summer, the beginning of the holiday season almost upon us. Where has the time gone???.

Last year at Un-Labor Day, I remember going to the beach on the Saturday of the holiday weekend. I sat and took a few deep breaths and enjoyed the one and only smell of the beach. Then I watched as the parents brought the kids to the beach, stocked with toys, umbrellas, suntan lotion, and the coolers filled with treats to last the day. As the beach started getting crowded, you could smell the suntan lotion and hear the screeches of excitement as the kids ran into the water and felt its chill. I had checked my email in the morning, not reading my emails, but making sure that people were responding to my ads. I sat back, satisfied with myself that I had partially kept my promise to myself. Oh well, as long as there is a computer around, I am curious and like to know what’s going on.

The day was filled with activities such as playing catch with Frisbees or footballs in the water, making sand castles and digging holes to cover each other up in. And then, of course, eating and drinking as the day got longer. There were sandwiches, leftover pizza, and in some instances where the family got creative, tacos!!! Of course lots of drinks, chips of all kinds and watermelon that dribbled down the chins of the little ones; the birds soaring around overhead waiting for bits of food to fill their belly that fell in the sand.

I brought magazines and a halfway read book, though I got no reading done as watching the people around me was the only entertainment I needed. The families had no care in the world.

Sunday was the rote holiday barbeque with the family. Ok, I know you’re wondering, and yes, I checked my email again. This time I looked at a few of the resumes verifying that they would be a match for the jobs I was looking to fill. But, I did not read more then 10 of the resumes, so I feel good about that. Back to the barbeque… everyone brings a specialty dish, and my brother Scott and his wife Carol have our family over along with a few friends and their kids who are in town for the weekend. As everyone arrives, the kids immediately head to the backyard, running around playing with water balloons that were filled up the day before. The day is warm, so if a balloon breaks on you, it dries within a few minutes time. The kids say a quick hello to you and you see their eyes light up to know that you’re here for another family gathering… but because the games are plentiful and kids have so much energy, they are off to the next round of water balloon games.

A quick hello to the family that is playing a "friendly" game of Boggle in the corner… nobody can really look up – they might miss a word, and everyone wants to be the “champ” of the weekend. One word can make the difference. The moms are talking about the upcoming school year, the dads are talking about football, I wander around and get myself a coke and watch the kids play. All they can think about is the here and now, without a care. I want to be in their world.

The barbeque is started up later in the day as the sun goes down and a cool breeze makes it's way throughout the yard. Even though it’s Sunday, we know that we have the Labor Day holiday and it won't be the usual get up for work day, so we all stay late and enjoy each other more than we normally would, just hanging around and talking, interrupting only when the kids want to know, "...what's for dessert?" Most of us adults want to know too!

My sister-in-law heads to the kitchen and the kids and I help her pull out the fixings for a "make your own sundae" bar... everyone loves it!!!! There is usually a pie or some home baked cookies that one of the neighbors brought by, as well.

As the night ends, there are lots of hugs and well wishes to all the kids who will be starting school that week. I head home and begin thinking about my Un-Labor Day which will begin with an early trip to the beach to locate a prime parking space. I'll pack my own cooler of snacks and drinks as my plan is relax and take in the day. I’ve promised myself not to look at my emails until the end of Un-Labor Day and then I can plan my September, and think about how high I can get my billings to be, and how the 4th quarter of the year can be so busy for me because I’m in charge of my own destiny and my own paycheck. I break another of my promises to myself about taking a vacation from work, and go home and look at the stats from previous years. I confirm that the 4th quarter numbers are good from previous years. I reaffirm that I am on track with this year and that the upcoming quarter will be a great one!

So, my last day of the Un-Labor Day weekend.... I broke all my promises when I started planning out September and my 4th quarter, breaking down my billing by the week so I know what I need to do to keep my standing with the company. Hopefully, I will not think about all this on Monday at the beach....and just enjoy.

I settle into my beach chair....my cooler is stocked... I did not bring a pen, not wanting to write any work notes on my last day of relaxing. But my mind is whirling. How many interviews did I set up on Friday for Tuesday? How many 2nd interviews do I have going out to my company’s? Was it 2 or 3? When is the next 5 week temp month for the quarter? Oh my. For someone who’s supposed to be relaxing this weekend, I’ve done a lot of planning for work. Yeah, that’s what I’ll call it ~ planning. Then I can tell myself I wasn’t really WORKING. Sigh

"A Labor Day Poem" by Beverly Boswell

Labor Day has always been my favorite holiday
I would wait all year without delay.
Ever since I was a little girl living in Okeechobee
Because this day, it’s just my dad and me.

A parade would start that Saturday;
There was not anything to stand in our way.
Complete with clowns, horses and crafts in the park;
We would stay there until way after dark.

Sunday was the special day for my dad and me
This day I had him all to myself, you see.
It was the Championship Rodeo that came to town
It was a day which he never let me down.

It reminds me of all the nice folks at Headway
Whenever, we at HRC, need to call in a given day
We always get the help and support we need
There is always someone to take the lead.

Everyone has been supportive to us at the HRC
It is like one big, happy family.
We felt like we belong from the very first day
What better place to be and work than at Headway!