This Labour Day long weekend, many of us are enjoying one last pause before summer gives way to September routines.
A day off. A cottage weekend. A barbecue. A Blue Jays game. Maybe simply the luxury of not setting an alarm tomorrow morning.
And as we rest from our labours, I’ve been thinking about another kind of work.
The work we do for one another.
That feels especially appropriate this week, because Thursday marks 25 years since September 11, 2001.
There are certain days when you remember exactly where you were when the world changed. September 11 is one of them.
But for Canadians — and particularly for Newfoundlanders — there is another story from that terrible day that deserves remembering.
It’s the story of what happened after the planes landed.
When the Planes Came to Gander
When American airspace closed on September 11, aircraft already crossing the Atlantic had to go somewhere.
Under Operation Yellow Ribbon, 38 planes carrying 6,656 passengers and crew were diverted to Gander, Newfoundland — suddenly bringing thousands of unexpected visitors to a community of roughly 10,000 people.
Those people needed food.
Beds.
Showers.
Medication.
Clothing.
Phones to call home.
And perhaps most importantly, they needed another human being to tell them: you’re safe here. We’ll look after you.
The people of Gander and the surrounding communities didn’t have months to prepare.
They had hours.
So people went to work.
They made sandwiches. They cooked meals. They collected blankets and toiletries. They turned schools and community centres into shelters. They opened their homes. They cared for animals travelling in the cargo holds. They helped complete strangers contact frightened families thousands of kilometres away.
They did whatever needed doing.
Not because it was their job.
Because someone needed help.
The Story Canada Is Remembering
If you’ve seen Come From Away, you know what happened next.
The musical took this extraordinary Newfoundland story around the world, introducing millions of people to the “Come From Aways” and the communities that welcomed them.
And this summer, Come From Away has once again been playing where the story actually happened — in Gander — leading into this week’s 25th anniversary.
There’s something else worth watching this week, too.
Historica Canada has released a new Heritage Minute: Gander and 9/11, with fellow Newfoundlander Rick Mercer portraying Gander’s then-mayor, Claude Elliott.
In one minute, it captures something very big about those days.
People needed help.
Other people helped them.
No grand strategy. No expectation of recognition. Nobody knew Broadway would someday tell the story or that, 25 years later, Canadians would still be talking about what happened.
They saw work that needed doing.
And they did it.
I’ve Been Thinking About Dolly, Too
That idea has also been on my mind with the recent loss of Dolly Parton.
The world knew Dolly for the music, the rhinestones, the hair, the humour and that unmistakable voice.
But I think one of the most beautiful parts of her legacy is what she chose to do with the life and success she’d been given.
She helped people.
Her Imagination Library grew from an initiative inspired by her father’s inability to read into an extraordinary program putting books into the hands of children.
She couldn’t solve every problem facing every child.
So she chose one thing she could do.
And she did it.
Again and again and again.
What Can We Do?
It’s easy to look at the world right now and feel overwhelmed by everything we cannot control.
Most of us aren’t going to be called upon to suddenly feed and shelter thousands of stranded airline passengers.
Most of us won’t have Dolly Parton’s resources to put millions of books into children’s hands.
But that’s not really the point.
We can all do something.
We can make dinner for somebody.
We can check on a neighbour.
We can donate a book.
We can volunteer.
We can make a phone call to someone who might be lonely.
We can give someone our time.
We can welcome the stranger standing in front of us.
We can notice when somebody needs help — and instead of assuming someone else will take care of it, ask, What can I do?
Small acts don’t always feel important when we’re doing them.
I doubt anyone making sandwiches in Gander 25 years ago thought they were creating a story that would someday be performed on stages around the world.
They were just making sandwiches.
But thousands of small acts of kindness, performed by thousands of ordinary people, became something extraordinary
As We Rest From Our Labours
Maybe that’s something worth thinking about this Labour Day.
As we enjoy a well-earned break from the work that fills our days, perhaps we can also think about the work we choose to do for each other.
Because for all the beautiful hotels, extraordinary ships and remarkable places I get to experience through travel, the stories that stay with me longest are almost always about people.
The person who welcomed us.
The stranger who helped.
The guide who stayed a little longer.
The crew member who noticed.
The community that opened its doors.
Twenty-five years ago this week, when the world was experiencing one of its darkest days, ordinary people in a small corner of Newfoundland quietly showed us something about humanity.
There was work to be done.
So they rolled up their sleeves and did it.
As we rest from our labours this weekend, perhaps that’s worth remembering.
Look around.
See who might need a hand.
And do what you can.
We all can do our part. ❤️
Live Life. Love Travel. Return on Life.