Labor Day Labor
On Friday or Monday holidays, hospitals have special needs for labor coverage over three-day weekends. Older son was asked to work seven hours on Saturday at time-and-a-half. Since we planned on picnicking here today – and because he needs new brakes on his car – he agreed. As Frank mentioned in the prompt, the option to say yes or no wouldn’t exist without hard-won battles for unions back in the day. Time-and-a-half would be unthinkable.
safe driving won through
bloodless corporate sharing
sacrifice pays off
Younger son is on a salary. In corporatese, it means on the clock twenty-four-slash-seven. Remote work means he’s watched his daughter’s every developmental milestone and all other intangibles he would have missed except maybe through photos or videos. At the same time, he’s always splitting his attention between career work and home.
bonded family
but tethered to overlords
challenges labor
Knowing family was coming today – they will be here any minute now – I mowed the lawn, raked fur from the carpet and vacuumed, and boxed up all of the collage materials. The collage station does double duty as the picnic fixins table. Mlady will disappear and Dotty will make her rounds for pets when they arrive.
car doors slam
warm breeze through open windows
key lime pie waits
Tao Talk 
Lots of labor to be able to have a wonderful time with family… cheers
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Thanks much, Bjorn. Cheers. We had our picnic and then headed to a nearby playground. The modern equipment has some neat things that she loved. She’s getting to be quite a climber and this place had two different climbing features plus many ladders, slides, and other gadgets on it. Older son brought his frisbee and there was a large field where we played.
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I’m so glad I am no longer part of the rat race. I don’t envy people who have to work long hours, even with time and a half – thank goodness for the unions. I know what it’s like to only see my grandchildren on Zoom and photos, but I can’t imagine what that would have been like as a parent, having to choose work over children. How lovely to get together with your family and some key lime pie, Lisa.
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Kim it was such a pleasant day. Granddaughter knows where the stevia is in one of the beds and she beelined for it. I showed her where the chives grow and she picked several pieces. A little later she was picking apples to pile up for the deer.
I still like to people with people but at my choice. I was lucky/blessed to stay home with my kids for the first 10 years of their lives, but of course their dad was working as much as he could to food, clothe, and shelter us.
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I’m looking forward to a visit from Ellen and the boys at Halloween, for Louie’s birthday.
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Ah! What a perfect time for a visit!
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A wonderful Haibun, Lisa!
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Dwight, thanks so much.
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Well done, Lisa! As for unions, seems every great idea ends up eventually going too far, though. We take the good with the bad and hope the best. ;-)
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Thanks, Susan.
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I love your final haiku. I love the contrast with Keylime pie. I’m glad everyone’s coming over to visit. It is so good to be able to spend the holidays with family.
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Thanks, Aaron. Yes, it is, and it was a wonderful time today.
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There are trade offs for every kind of working situation. I’m glad you were able to assemble everyone today. I’m sure you had a great time. (K)
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True. Me too. We did :)
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Glad you got together and I hope everything went well! Yep I’m on salary but didn’t get called today. If something happens though I have to work…but it’s usually an emergency.
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A lovely Haibun Li.
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Thanks, Dear Sadje.
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You’re most welcome
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I love this trinity of haibuns! What a perfectly balanced Labor Day delight!
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Actually it is one long haibun (you can break them up like that.) Thanks so much, V.
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I love what you have shared about your children. I think every job has its goods and bads.
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Christine, I totally agree. They are blessed to have jobs.
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I hope you had fun picnicking Li :-) and you enjoyed every minute of it!
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We did :)
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A lovely feeling of family warmth permeates these details.
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:) <3
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Such a beautiful work of art in that garden. I hope it lasts a really long time.
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Gia, it very well may, as I think they used evergreen plants to do it (I could be wrong!)
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Excellent! 🌿🌿
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