Labor Day is supposed to be a day when we put work aside.
But for many occupations, that is easier said than done.
On the farm, cattle still need to be fed. If the crop is ready or harvest is underway, the weather doesn’t know if it is a holiday. Life has a way of reminding us that some jobs simply cannot wait.
I grew up on our family farm in Appleton City, and some of my earliest memories are tied to work. I remember the long days, the dirt and sweat, and the satisfaction that came when the job was finally finished. But as I have gotten older, I have realized those days gave me something much more important than an understanding of farm life.
They taught me what it means to show up for the people who depend on you.
Behind nearly every farm is a family making sacrifices most people will never see. It’s a spouse bringing supper to the field because there is not time to come home, or a child riding along in the tractor because sometimes that’s the only way to spend time with Dad or Mom.
It’s missing a ballgame because the rain is coming, or lying awake at night worrying about weather, prices and expenses, and still getting out of bed the next morning to do it all again.
But farmers and ranchers certainly do not do it alone.
Our educators, health care workers and public safety personnel, along with many others, are essential to our lives and communities. Think about the truck drivers hauling grain, the mechanics keeping equipment running, the veterinarians answering calls in the middle of the night, and the people working in feed mills, elevators, processing plants and countless rural businesses. They endure long hours in challenging jobs, but they do not show up because someone is watching. They do it because someone — a student, a family or a community — depends on them.
There’s something deeply personal about that kind of work. Maybe that’s what Labor Day should remind us of most.
Work is about more than earning a living. It is also about providing for someone else, taking responsibility and leaving something behind that matters.
So, this Labor Day, whether you are able to put your feet up for a hard-earned break, clock in for another day providing care and comfort to families or climb on the combine to carry on with harvest, I would like to say thank you. It’s not said enough how much you are appreciated, and I hope you take pride in the work you do.
This week and in the weeks ahead, I hope we all take a moment to thank the people whose work makes our lives possible.
Because behind every meal on the table and every moment we have with family, there is a story of someone who showed up and did the work.
That is worth celebrating.
