Portland, Oregon Labor Day 2013
I was thinking about the meaning of Labor Day as I wandered through the very quiet Japanese Garden on Labor Day morning. Since 1894 Americans have officially celebrated workers on the first Monday in September. For many of us this holiday weekend symbolizes the official end to summer, the transition from the lazy days of August to more organized schedules and back-to-school or work. As I paused to reflect on the meaning of the holiday I couldn’t help but pay attention to the current focus on the fact that our country’s minimum wage is not a living wage and has created a culture of many workers slaving away but still unable to crawl out of the depths of poverty.
This past week I read, with interest, a piece about Caroline Gleason (1886-1962). She was a Roman Catholic nun, social reformer, and educator who helped shape Oregon Labor Law and the state’s social conditions. In 1916 she became Sr. Miriam Theresa when she joined the Sisters of the Holy Names at Marylhurst, Oregon. In the mid-1930’s Sister Miriam was asked to mediate disputes over Oregon’s wage and hour law. In 1951 the Oregonian, Portland’s daily newspaper, named her as one of the 25 most outstanding women in Oregon history during the previous 100 years. Sadly, the battles that Sr. Miriam mediated are still raging eighty years later.
The socio-economic woes of America lead me to ask a bigger question. What is America’s authentic, true voice? Are we hearing it or is it being drowned out by the warring drums of greed and wealth? It is time, I believe, to take ownership of that authentic voice and make it ring out loud and clear. As we go forward from Labor Day 2013 we must remember from where our good life comes, in our history, today, and in the future.
Yes, Fall is transition time. The leaves turn, the weather changes to more crisp, cool days and days become shorter. I have always loved Fall when my energy picks up and new projects are begun! On this Labor Day, I looked into the tiny pond and I felt the peace of this very special, idyllic place. The koi gathered together in the serene pool there at the Japanese Garden in the coolness of the morning!