Saturday May 1, 2021

Good morning everyone, today is Saturday May 1, 2021. So far the outlook for the weather is good sunny reaching into the high 60’s. There is nothing wrong with that if it holds true. So we start a new month day May , the fifth month of the year already. May is considered to be the best month of the year, if not the luckiest. There is something to celebrate every day this month but the most important to me is it starts summer, a time most of us truly adore, we get to relax, bask in the sun, swim in a pool or the beach, dine al fresco in warmth. Spend time with family and friends. It is a more laid back time of year, but that all unfolds this month.

Today being the first of May has many historical connotations, first it is considered Labor Day in most of Europe. At one time it was also Labor Day in the United States. It was the day when workers protested unfair conditions, opted for an 8 hour work day and other benefits but somehow it also became associated with communism and we changed it to September. Secondly, it is a day to celebrate flowers and nature, this dates back to Roman times. A more recent custom was to decorate a basket with flowers and put it on your neighbors steps as a surprise. Could you imagine doing that today most people don’t even know their neighbors anymore. When I had the store in Montclair there was a town wide custom and contest for store owners, we had to make a May Basket of flowers or plants and put it in the front of the store to welcome shoppers. Then the town would judge, I never won so I don’t know what the prize was. But it was fun to do, it beautified the town and sort of unified the merchants. These little gestures help people to come together something we sadly lack nowadays. As a teacher we had to decorate our doors for Christmas, the same concept of course their are those who will not participate but that breeds contempt for anything enjoyable. Today we need everything to make a better existence. Thirdly, May is actually considered the luckiest month of the year and children born then are inherently lucky, the most unlucky being October wouldn’t you know that, my birthday, but I would be very wrong to say that because I actually consider myself a very lucky man in so many ways.

So let’s get out today and enjoy this beautiful beginning. Look at the flowers in bloom and appreciate that Mother Nature has given them to us with more to come. Find something to bring happiness to yourself. Well it’s time to say good bye for now and we’ll talk soon. Til Tomorrow!