Here’s a Glass Raised to Our Warriors of the Working-Day

From Sam Gamgee to the stay-at-home mom, you can always find something good to work hard for.

Carpenters work on building new townhomes that are still under construction, while building material supplies are in high demand, in Tampa, Fla., on May 5, 2021. Octavio Jones/Reuters

In the movie “The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers,” Frodo finds himself at the end of his rope, declaring himself too battered and exhausted to continue his quest. His companion, Sam Gamgee, offers encouragement by reminding him of the old tales, “the ones full of darkness and danger.”

“Folk in those stories had lots of chances of turning back, only they didn’t,“ he said. ”They kept going. Because they were holding onto something.”