Happy Labor Day, Laborers AND Moms!

Happy Labor Day!! I still laugh as I recall my son's telephone call to me on Labor Day three years ago. With the family in the background hollering, "Happy Mother's Day", I said, "What?" And Ryan replied, "It's Labor Day, so we're thanking you for your "labor" in bringing me into this world! So Happy Mother's Day!" LOL! Labor Day has a whole new meaning to me each year!

But we all know that Labor Day isn't about me and the contribution I made to this world. (Sigh!) And, though we love the idea of a "paid holiday" or just the day off at the beginning of a new school year, it's way more than that. It's the day we get to honor all of our hard working American people who make life so much better for us. Vince Lombardi said, "The price of success is hard work, dedication to the job at hand, and the determination that whether we win or lose, we have applied the best of ourselves to the task at hand.

I thank all of this country's hard working laborers. So many unsung heroes, so many that are behind the scenes, and particularly those of you who don't usually get the acclaim & recognition. You know who you are --: the garbage truck workers, restaurant cooks & waiters, cashiers, secretaries, janitors, home care workers, domestic workers, street repair workers, construction crews, utility crews, lawn maintenance crews, and to the millions of other people who believe that true success comes from rolling up your sleeves and dedicating yourselves to not just a paycheck....but to making a difference in other people's lives!! You are the quiet heroes in our lives and I applaud you and thank you today!!

Now, go ahead and enjoy this Labor Day -- you earned it and deserve it. And, I think I'll just rest and relax from two BIG labors that brought two BIG joys and blessings into my life! So all you Laborers and all you Moms out there.....Happy Labor AND Mother's (Labor) Day to you, too!

Being Difference Makers

On the 2nd day of our missions’ trip, we were all about the business of reaching our hearts and hands out to the children. "Be A Miracle" - se un milagro - was our goal. On this day, we would meet up with the reality of what “behind the scenes” is all about. And, this day was about what we really wanted this trip to be about – helping, even in any way we could -- someway - somehow - to be difference makers.

We arrived at Perdon y Amistad Church and immediately received gifts from the children. Really? I knew it would be like this. We came to be a blessing, and before we could give, we received. The children had painted on paper bags that contained t-shirts for each of us.

At the church, we met the most beautiful servants of God who pour their lives, voluntarily, into the precious children. They sincerely know, and put to action – the importance of planting into the future generation – and making an indelible imprint on these young lives.
It was quite the adventure for our little missions’ team to be on a food preparation assembly line of breaking open the bread, spreading mayo in it, then adding a slice of cheese and meat, and all neatly bundled in a plastic bag with napkin for over 500 children. I loved the pride they had in the packaging.

We headed out with the team over rocky, unpaved roads – many of which were washed out because of the torrential rains that come, which compounds the difficulty in getting the meals delivered. But, what we did in just one day, is done routinely, and daily, by this beautiful team of volunteers as they cater food & beverage, visiting two primary schools and a preschool in the morning and afternoon (two shifts). For over 15 years, they have focused on providing a meal and drink for every child. The main goal of this amazing program, “Breakfast for Children” is to combat malnutrition and is dedicated to feeding children in the most impoverished areas.

We loved being able to serve -- it was a team effort, and we got the big job done – but our contribution was mere, compared to what these volunteers do on a daily basis. Though it seemed like a small token of support, we understood St. Francis’ message….loud and clear – “Preach the gospel at all times…..and sometimes use words.”