Many of us typically begin a Monday morning with a groan.

We open our eyes reluctantly and realize it’s a Monday, the beginning of a new week of work. After hitting the snooze bar one too many times, we pull ourselves out of bed and into the shower, resigned to the fact that it’s time to get ready for work.

But for many of us, not today! It is Labor Day and for the majority, when we opened our eyes this morning, we remembered we have one more day of rest before beginning a new workweek.

As we begin to prepare for our day of leisure, let’s remember and give thanks for the many among who on this Labor Day will rise and shine and head to work as usual. To the store clerks who will wait on us at the Labor Day sales, to the waiters and waitresses and police, fire and emergency personnel and others, we appreciate you.

Also worthy of praise:

• Congratulations to the Warren Central Vikings, who bested the Vicksburg Gators on the football field in the River City Classic Friday night. Job well done.

• Congratulations to Vicksburg’s Green Hills Garden Club, which won a national Garden Club President’s Award recently. The group is committed to sharing its love of gardening with a new generation of youngsters through its volunteer after school program. While having some fun getting their hands dirty in garden soil, Vicksburg students are learning to appreciate our earth at the same time.

• Congratulations to May & Company LLC for being names one of the Best of the Best by INSIDE Public Accounting. The Vicksburg firm is one of only 10 in the nation to earn the distinction. Kudos.

• The Cinnamon Tree recently celebrated 30 years in business in downtown Vicksburg. That’s quite an accomplishment, particularly in today’s economic environment. Its owner, Karen Ruggles, attributes the store’s success with keeping up with current styles and listening to customers and providing them what they want. Here’s hoping for 30 more years and beyond.