UNITED STATES—With Labor Day now beyond us, its official that the summer is now long over and it’s time to get back to work. Some of you might be asking precisely what do I mean by that statement? Well, to a degree summer ending, kicks things back into gear for adults.

Yes, we might go to work all-year round, but at the same time, the months of June, July and August allow many to take those family road trips, vacations and travel abroad; something that is not common during the other seasons.

With the heat, people tend to be a bit more relaxed, the festivities outdoors are a bit more abundant, the family outings intensify a bit more and the stress level seems to level out slightly in my opinion. Also there is that notion that the idea of wearing white is long gone.

I guess that depends on who you talk to. I seriously don’t believe in the notion that a time of year ends a ‘tradition’ of wearing a particular color. You wear what you want and if someone doesn’t like it so be it.

The outdoor cooking season is over. That is one sad thing about Labor Day coming around. No more barbeques, no more pool parties, but we do get back into the kitchen indoors which I think is a great thing. I’ll be the first to admit, I don’t cook during the summer months. If I do the dishes I cook are quick, light and not labor intensive. The heat alone puts enough pressure to make one want to exit as soon as possible. So this brings me to the good thing about Labor Day: it marks the return of reality in my opinion.

The kids are back in school. What does that mean? Those summer days of the children hanging at the mall, invading many of the retail shops, the movie theaters and so many other places significantly cuts in half, well at least before school ends at 3 p.m. for most people. The workload for parents does intensify slightly because the errand running intensifies slightly. Rather it’s picking up and dropping off to school, you have those after school activities, not to mention those activities that may be taking place during the weekends as well.

I guess the sad thing about knowing Labor Day officially ending summer is the fact that parents find themselves having to juggle a lot more on their plate compared to when school is out from June-August. The one thing that I can argue is the end of summer ushers in a load of holidays that allows for plenty of family bonding.

We have Halloween, which allows kids and adults to play dress-up, even more exciting is the fact that the spookiest day of the year falls on Saturday this year. Fingers crossed for no rain or bad weather. It’s been dreadful for those of us who live in the Midwest. You have Thanksgiving which is the one time of year where family matters most in my opinion.

The ability to bond while cooking and sharing food is what family is all about. Thanksgiving is so great because it ushers in the official start of the holiday shopping season, with Black Friday, sorry, I meant Black Thursday. Followed closely behind is Christmas which is another festive holiday and a bit of a stressor where the wallets tend to take a beating to purchase the perfect gift for that loved one.

Once that holiday kicks the bucket, we have New Years. So in essence, the end of the summer ushers in a multitude of holidays that bonds the family even stronger in my opinion. It kicks open the door for some of the costliest holidays of the summer. Summer might be officially over, but there are no tears being shed because I think the fall and winter months usher in some of the best times of the year and the biggest holidays as well.