“Getting ready for the Labor Day Races Tomorrow”

Sep 2nd “Getting ready for the Labor Day Races Tomorrow”

“Tomorrow the 3rd of September – welcomes a big Holiday – Labor Day – a rest from “work” – and that would be according to whom?” Every store will be “OPEN” and so many will spend the whole day shopping – and the rest of us are going to be in the back yard bar-b-cuing – and “SUN-baking” ourselves to a crisp! After all these many years of doing the same thing – even myself – I’m letting everyone else do the work – and will just sit back and enjoy!

While just sitting back and thinking about how this day was celebrated when I was an “ORPHAN” and there were 350 of us children – and on a special “HOLIDAY” such as this – this would be considered a “RED LETTER DAY” in our times!

“LABOR DAY” was a day that all the children would have been preparing for – in the previous weeks – there would be different “RACES” – which we would all participate in – to see who might win prizes. If you were a runner – we would see you running all around and with others – just to see who possibly would win? Some of the kids would try doing the two-legged and three-legged races – just trying to see which combination of kids could coordinate – together and maybe win in those types of races? Some of us would get some spoons from the kitchen and each participant would put a rock in the spoon and we would run against others – just to get an idea of who – would win? On “RACE DAY” the NUNS would hand out an egg, to be used in the spoon – so you had to learn self-control and be fast, too! Dropped eggs = looser!

There was one race that I enjoyed doing and that was the one – which involves that you put a book on your head – and walk/fast using complete control over how you hold your head – so as to not let that “BOOK” fall off! I was lucky to win at this race several times – guess I might have a “HEAD FOR BOOKS” – small laugh – here??

The NUNS would have tables set up with all kinds of good stuff that the kids would like to have – most was donated for the kids – but they would collect and save things just for this “LABOR DAY” event for the kids to have fun! Also there would be 1^st – 2^nd – 3rd and 4^th place prizes – that way almost every child would get a chance to pick out something for themselves – and have “FUN” – while feeling apart of the “RACE” event!

We would always have “Supper” at 6:00 pm and to finish the “LABOR DAY” FUN – there would be a movie for us to view outside on the “BOY’s” side of the play ground – that is if the weather is good – in the case of bad weather the movie would be shown in the Auditorium.

For “ORPHANS” – having FUN – was the one part of living in the “Orphanage” that kept a lot of us growing up with some kind of “HOPE” – someday when we leave and have families of our own – we will be able to tell our own FAMILIES that we did have some fun and will be looking forward to giving even more to our own families with more “LOVE” than – that which we had received from the NUNS and our life in the Orphanage – and as “LIFE” continues with “TOMORROW WILL BE A BETTER DAY” – it is good that young children see the best that “LIFE” offers and will remember those “Happy Times” – FOR EVER!