Labor Day didn’t exist as such during Abraham Lincoln’s lifetime. Although, it originated in a late nineteenth century tradition of showing public support for labor issues, it was not until 1882 that it became a more organized celebration.

Even though Lincoln didn’t get to participate in our modern-day formalized fête, he still deeply appreciated hard work, noting that:

“Labor is the true standard of value.”

He was no wimp when it came to hard labor, himself; indeed, the classic image of Lincoln the rail splitter comes to mind.

Although for most of us, today is a day where we take a break (or in my instance – spend 12 hours travelling home from a vacation), it’s important to step back and take a minute to be thankful for all of the hard working people that makes our country great.

#YayAmerica!