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Labor Day means so many things: the “unofficial” end of summer, an extra day off as a “reward” for all of the overtime and stress your daily job entails, barbeques, sunshine, and lots of TRAFFIC.

But for me, as Labor Day rolls around, I am always reminded of my grandpa, and the year that we painted the fence.  It was supposed to be a Labor Day like all others – visiting Grandma and Grandpa’s house, eating barbeque, running though the sprinklers and goofing around with the cousins. Gramps, however, had other plans.  He decided that this Labor Day, his grandkids would…paint the fence.  You should have seen our shocked faces when we were given the dreaded news – we, the four of us, two boys, two girls, would be WORKING?  On Labor Day?

“But it’s LABOR DAY!”  we complained to deaf ears.  “No one should LABOR on Labor Day!”  And then, with the guiding eyes of my grandfather upon us, we picked up our brushes and painted.  And painted.  And painted.  We painted the fence.  We (oops) painted the grass.  And we (accidentally on purpose) painted each other.  My grandma joked that we had more paint on us than that fence did.

We still ate barbeque.  We still rinsed ourselves off with the hose.  We were still hanging out with our cousins.  And we made grandpa happy.

These days, I’ll bet very few kids are painting fences today.  Many of them are inside playing video games instead.  Maybe the world needs more grandpas like mine – a grandpa who commanded attention, who didn’t really ask, but told.  Usually with a smile and sometimes, a wink. 

We learned how to paint fences that day, but we also learned what it takes to make a positive contribution to your family.  Maybe someday my dad will ask Patrick to mow the lawn, or take out the garbage, or even paint a fence.  And he’ll remember Labor Day as I do  – not as a day off, but as a reminder of family.

Miss you Gramps.