For many, Labor Day weekend is a time of cookouts, big sales and vacations, all marking the unofficial end of summer. It’s the last day of operation for many seasonal businesses and the last day to wear white pants. It’s also a time to reflect on the American worker, and the contributions they have made to our society.

For others, however, Labor Day is just another day. If you went shopping, went our to eat or visited a gas station yesterday, chances are you encountered one of America’s laborers at work, performing vital services for their customers.

Likewise, employees at places like hospitals, fire departments, police stations, EMS stations and 911 dispatch centers went about their labor day as they do every day, serving the public as they do 24 hours per day, 7 days per week and 365 days per year.

In Beaufort County, and across the country, men and women work tirelessly in all sectors of the American economy every day, holiday or no, producing the goods and rendering the services that we all rely in our daily lives.

Without the American worker, not much would get done in this country. These are the people that keep the economic engine of the United States churning ever forward, and no business can survive without them.

A good, honest day’s work is something that has always been valued and respected in our country. The men and women who labored yesterday, and every day, to put food on the table and clothes on their children’s backs deserve more than just a paycheck; they deserve our respect.

So, although Labor Day has passed, take a moment this week to remember the American worker, upon whose labor this country was built. Think about how different, and much more difficult, your life would be if not for the people who serve the public in so many ways every day.

Take a moment to say thank you to the person who makes your food, rings up your purchases or keeps your local grocery store well stocked throughout the year. Show a smile to the clerk at the gas station, and express your gratitude to those who might not have gotten to spend Labor Day weekend with their families.

Remember that no matter the job, no matter the uniform a person wears, underneath each is a person deserving of respect and dignity. America as a nation owes so much to its workers, and so do we. To those who work, strive and struggle to fulfill your dreams, all while serving others — you’re the real MVPs.