Labor Day Reflection…& Welcome Back!
Happy Labor Day, and welcome back to Listening on the Journey…following my two-month sabbatical.
Labor Day has been set aside to honor men and women who have in the past and continue to work hard to make our communities and nation a great place to live.
Last month, my husband and I visited New York City and Washington, D. C. with our 10-year-old granddaughter. Part of our New York tour included a harbor cruise during which we passed the Statue of Liberty.
The Statue of Liberty has greeted thousands of immigrants, folks who often arrived in the United States with little more than a dream and desire to work hard. Both Ron and I imagine our great grandparents were greeted by the bronze Lady Liberty.
The Statue of Liberty, a gift from France presented on July 4, 1884, arrived in New York Harbor almost one year later. Seeing this iconic symbol up close was surprisingly emotional for me. On our next trip to NYC, both Ron and I agree we want to spend one full day visiting the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, the site where immigrants were processed.
At the base of the Statue of Liberty is a bronze plaque inscribed with the words of a poem, The New Colossus, written by Emma Lazarus. The final lines are ones familiar to many:
"Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"
With gratitude for all those who have and continue to labor diligently…
