The New Meaning of Labor Day

I know that Labor Day was created to celebrate the hardworking men and women of this country but the term will forever have a new meaning to me since actually going through labor. To celebrate the wonder that labor and delivery is, we went out to Block Island to unofficially say goodbye to summer. Molly enjoyed pulling herself up on a big table, getting lots of doggie kisses from Angus, eating more sand, and playing with Nana and Grandpa.

Pictures from the Block:

Making fishy faces - not as good as Aunt Holly's but working on it

Watching Nana navigate technology...

And then stealing her chair. Molly climbed up on her own and just parked her little self right there with no respect to its previous occupant.

Regular readers know Molly's predilection for noshing. She took advantage of Nana's breakfast this morning and stole that from her too.

On a final note, we got a huge lesson in selflessness this weekend when we watched John's cousin, John Thomas, on the news. NBC in Providence did a story on him because he was generous enough to donate a kidney to an old friend. In typical John Thomas fashion, he downplayed the enormity of the act but I think it deserves special recognition. Having worked closely with the transplant social workers at the hospital and dealing with organ bank on many occasions, I've witnessed how much it means to someone to be the recipient of an organ. Being able, and more importantly, willing to give this gift is a truly life changing experience for all those involved in the process. I'm truly humbled on a daily basis -- whether from some of the folks I came across in my former work life, from Molly and her friends and their moms and dads, or from closer to home in our own families -- to see the distance that people go to help others even when it might not have an obvious advantage for themselves. THESE are the acts that make the world go 'round.