Labor Day has arrived, which means summer’s days are numbered. Though we’ll undoubtedly see our share of warm, sunny days throughout September and even October, this weekend is the traditional line in the sand. Time for a couple more dips in the pool and burgers on the grill before we start thinking about closing up shop for the season.

As we enjoy what’s shaping up to be an awfully nice holiday weekend, I hope we’ll be able to spare a few thoughts for the real reasons why we celebrate Labor Day. Though it was created to recognize the American labor movement, over the years the holiday has become an opportunity to pay tribute to the laborers of all kinds who built our country and drive its economy.

This weekend, our thoughts are with a few particular groups of laborers.

• Our first responders and emergency workers, especially those who have been working tirelessly to restore power and cart away the damage in the Gulf Coast, the Mid-Atlantic, and along the entire destructive path of Hurricane Ida.
• Our health care providers, who continue to care for us and our loved ones with grace and empathy through the pandemic.
• Our law enforcement officers and military personnel, who are tasked with keeping us safe at home and abroad.
• Our educators and their support systems, as they start another challenging school year.
• All of the folks who are working this weekend so that we can enjoy the holiday, including those at supermarkets, gas stations, newsrooms, hospitals and urgent care facilities, and all the other places whose services we too frequently take for granted.
• And especially, our CPAs and their clients and companies, who are so essential to the recovery and continued strength of our nation’s economy. Our thanks for all you do.

And our thanks to all of our nation’s workers everywhere. They are all, in their own unique way, essential.

Our best wishes to all of you for a very happy Labor Day weekend.