“Change was the uninvited dinner guest at a swanky restaurant who drank and talked excessively and then bailed on the check, a nefarious six-letter word that entered like a hurricane, scattering roofs and dreams, downing all electrical connections, and leaving ruin in its wake. She waited for Change now, hoping for a good one, dreading a drastic one, praying for a just one, knowing that she’d be forced to surrender to whatever came because in the end, that’s all anyone can do.“

from A Gathering of One by P. J. Lazos

Happy Labor Day!  Today most Americans take a much-needed rest from work and other life-related stresses to gather together with family and friends and celebrate our work and  the work of our forefathers which built this nation.  Their collective effort is the back upon which America was made great and the foundation upon which we labor today.  We have them to thank for the 40-hour work week, for OSHA, and for the various health and safety standards in the work place that protect us and which translates into more time for ourselves and with our families.

I know my immigrant grandparents struggled mightily so their childen and grandchildren could enjoy a life without oppression, tyranny and civil strife, and I think of them often and thank them for their sacrifice.   Had they not made the decision to change their life’s circumstances, I may be speaking a different language today, perhaps would not have  enjoyed the benefits of a higher education that women in so many countries do not enjoy, and may be living in a place that pits brother against brother, sister against sister, or forced to practice a religion to which I do not adhere.  My gratitude for their sacrifice is practically on a cellular level.

So after the picnic, if you find yourself lying on the hammock, thinking about life and labor, and wishing you had something a little philosophical to chew on, may I suggest A Gathering of One, a List of 55 or The Quality of Light, all on sale today, all available on Amazon as a Kindle download.  Together they comprise Six Sisters, a collection of these three novellas which is available in paperback.  I guarantee each story will leave you with a different view of life and all its conundrums.

Go ahead.  Grab a book before the sale is over.  The hammock awaits!

p.j.lazos 9.7.15