By Deacon Peggy Hahn (she/her), Co-Director at LEAD

It’s not just children who need three to five affirmations a day! People of all ages are fragile—an encouraging smile can lift us up, while a harsh comment can tear us down. We break easily, especially when the very people we expect to support us let us down.

Jesus likely hurt feelings at times when speaking the truth, but he always managed to communicate love in the process. That’s a skill we could all use more of.

As schools, colleges, and seminaries restart, sensitivity runs high. Parents are juggling demanding schedules, and soon the holiday crunch will pile on top of everything else.

This Labor Day weekend is a chance to focus on the most important work:

• Take a break (Sleep? Create? See friends? What do you need?)
• Plan a few new habits (Meals? Workout? Prayer?)
• Build up the people around you (Notice other people’s needs. Apologize. Say “thank you”.)

Do the harder work – turn labor into a labor of love.