Grazie Nonnie e Nunu

Labor Day is finally here. The end of the summer and a day off for me!
As I was thinking about today - I could not help but think of all the hard working Americans out there.
I like to complain about my job. I like to complain about how many hours I work every week. But, at the end of the day ~ I have a great job. A job that does not pose any threats to bodily injury. A job that is cool in the summer and warm in the winter. A job that I am grateful for.
My grandparents were the children of immigrants. They came to this country with nothing in their pockets. When my great grandfather Frank arrived in 1907 he had $10. He went on to work in a steel factory - where he contracted TB and died.
My other great grandparents went direct from Ellis Island to Mississippi - where they picked cotton in the fields. They later moved north and my great grandfather found steady work in a cement factory.
My grandmother recalled the day her grandmother scratched out her birthday on her birth certificate so that she could get a job in a hat factory at 14. She dropped out of school and went on to work to help the family. Every penny she made went to helping the family buy food and clothes.
Hard working - dedicated family people - I never recall them complaining.
They sent thier sons to war, bought thier homes, sent money back to thier families in Italy, started thier own businesses, some of them died too young.
These people scratched a living and made the American Dream a reality for their children. I don't know how we could ever find a way to thank them enough.

Enjoy your day ~ and whoever you are, thanks for all your hard work!