Labor Day Weekend always has a special meaning for me.Ah, it's the long three day weekend that marks the end of August. Summer is unofficially over. Kids are going back to school (I recently learned it is called "boo hoo, woo hoo" time in some circles due to the mixed feelings parents have). Football season is upon us. And yes, holiday commercials are right around the corner.....But in our house, Labor Day weekend is different. My wife and I exchanged vows on the Sunday of Labor Day weekend 21 years ago.....and it is crazy how time has flown. When we first got married, the three day weekend offered us the ideal opportunity to celebrate our anniversary by sneaking in one last weekend in at the beach or planning a bonus trip somewhere fun. Then we had children, and soon the weekend became more about getting them ready for school, planning on how to get them the haircuts and outfits that they needed, tracking down last minute supplies and figuring out whether or not a babysitter could be arranged so we could sneak out for a quick dinner. As the kids got older, we found ourselves devoting the long weekend (often times apart) driving to and sitting on fields in various towns and states for marathon Labor Day soccer tournaments (that usually resulted more in sunburns than victory celebrations) or shuttling them to pre-season high school practices and tryouts. And these days, our Labor Days now include the "woo hoos" of college drop offs and their share of "boo hoos" that go along with tuition payments.When we planned our wedding all those years ago, Labor Day weekend seemed like it would always be the perfect time to just focus on the two of us. But as our lives got more busy and full, it would seem that we were quite naive to think this way -- on the surface, the long weekend at the end of August/beginning of September has been anything but that for most of the last 21 years. But I wouldn't have it any other way -- this will always be my absolute favorite time of year. I'm truly grateful for what life has given me, and the partner that I have with me on this journey. And, to boot, I get an action packed, three day weekend at the end of summer to reflect on this and remind me of how lucky one guy can be. As a fella once said, ain't that a kick in the head?Enjoy whatever you have planned for your Labor Day weekend, Friends -- whether it be on a beach, a sports field, getting school supplies, or dropping off a kid a college. It sure does go fast, doesn't it? And if you get a chance, please check out some great reads below.XOXODave