Labor Day Gratitudes

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I bought the best pair of pajamas last Friday. I wasn't looking for pajamas, but someone had stuck this pair on the end of a rack, where they captured my attention immediately. Snapping them up, I put them in my cart and, once home, I quickly determined that they were perfect for chilling out on a Friday evening and keeping me comfy as I worked on writing projects on a rainy Saturday morning.

Sometimes, the fruits of our labor yield things to be grateful for -- small things, like the perfect pair of pajamas -- that may not lead to noble goals like world peace, but nevertheless make our world a little sweeter. Today, I'm taking a moment to share a few of those things that matter to me.

• Colleagues who become friends -- and stay friends even after the job is done.
• Soft, comfy clothes made for kicking back and relaxing.
• New projects that excite us so much that they don't feel like work.
• An unexpected thread of connection to another person -- maybe momentary, or maybe a thread that becomes woven into the tapestry of our lives.
• Opportunities for our children, made possible by the work we've done and, with the occasional shortcut provided by our own life experience.
• Countless things that make us smile -- both little things and luxuries made possible by the routine and rigor of the work we do.

Here's hoping your Labor Day is a day of rest from the work that makes all these things possible, and a chance to enjoy the little things that make your world a little sweeter.