Monday, September begins with the federal holiday, Labor Day, marking the "unofficial" end of summer. The holiday, established in 1894, has an interesting history, formed during a time of rapid industrialization and urbanization. The speed of industrialization required an increasing demand for workers, who faced harsh conditions, low pay, and little concern for their health and environmental risks. Over time though, workers formed trade unions and developed the power of collective bargaining. Collectively, they established basic rights, negotiated increased pay, and improved safety conditions. And Labor Day became a day to highlight workers and their ongoing contribution to the country's achievements and wealth. While there is much to consider about respect and recognition of workers in 2025, (massive layoff's, firing of government workers, dissolution of jobs, deportation of thousands of migrant workers), as well as the escalating promotion of, and investment in, Artificial Intelligence, (with uncertain consequences for workers), this Labor Day, I invite you to personally reflect on labor as Love.
We are all workers, everyone of us works in one way or another. We expend energy--we may work for our personal well-being and comfort; we may work for our survival, we may labor at a task for our own pleasure and interests. In this context, labor is not limited to a job. Neither is it necessarily "work as worship", which is the idea of uniting our work in the world with our spiritual practice. Rather, I am inviting you to experiment with the discovery of Love at the root of work.
My thoughts go back to 40 years ago, to one of the first meditation classes I taught. I remember there were 17 people in that class, there to learn introductory meditation. During one of the meetings, a woman spoke of her frustration with her life and her "housewife" role. She particularly resented time she spent dusting her home as a meaningless use of time. In contrast, she imagined my life as a psychiatrist, teaching a meditation class, as something important and inspiring. I had to admit, I didn't dust much--not that the house didn't need it, but there was no time. I worked, I was a wife and mom, I cooked, did laundry, cleaned what I could, when I could. I talked about Meditation as my center, out of which, all other tasks arise. I encouraged her to consider dusting as a way to practice meditation; let dusting be a meditation, through intent, focus, and discovery. Today, I would tell her to try naming her dusting, Love. If it is only duty, or a sense or responsibility, "the shoulds, musts, oughts and have to's" as my teacher used to say, there is nothing life sustaining there.
This is not about making yourself love something you do not love. It certainly is not about forcing yourself to do things you hate doing. Rather, it is about the possible discovery that underneath what you name as labor, as work, as duty or responsibility, or even necessity, may in actuality be driven by Love. Why not start with the assumption that Love brings the task. Love unfolds the work. Love fulfills. If Love seems far, far from a task or responsibility, take a deeper look, or move on to another experiment in labor. May this week lift your labors in a discovery of Love. (Susan Nettleton)
For Poetry: https://wordsfortheyear.com/2020/04/25/gift-by-czeslaw-milosz/