I live in an area where there are many open fields and small forests. The fields and forests are disappearing though, as entire new neighborhoods spring up.

One of those neighborhoods is under construction very close to my home, and my dogs and I often walk past the entrance. I don’t think anyone lives there yet. I usually see pickup trucks and construction vehicles going in and out, and the drivers often slow down and wave to me as they go by.

The entry has the normal signs: Hardhat Area, Visitors Must Register at Office, etc. But there are four small signs outside the entrance, about the size of the ones that realtors use. They’re white with black lettering. They read: You Matter. You Are Not Alone. You Are Enough. The fourth is in Spanish: Vales Mucho. You Are Valued.

Who would put up signs like this at a construction site? I walked closer and discovered that each has the logo of the construction company in the corner, small enough that it is barely noticeable. I’ve wondered about the signs for weeks, and today my curiosity got the best of me, so I called the local Deangelis Diamond construction office.

The woman on the phone explained that September is suicide prevention month, and the construction industry has an extremely high suicide rate. So they put up signs to remind workers that they are important. That they matter. That no matter how hard life gets, there is still tomorrow.

It’s almost the end of Sukkot, the Jewish holiday when we spend time in temporary dwellings, called sukkuhs, to remind us of both the fragility and value of life. The holiday is called the Z’man Simchataynu, the time of our rejoicing. But even at this joyous time we read the Biblical book Ecclesiastes, in which a world-weary writer tells us that there’s nothing new under the sun, that striving is futile.

The world can feel like a dark place, and there are times when the weight of our sorrow feels overwhelming. Sukkot is here to tell us that joy can be found in even the darkest of times. It teaches that joy and sorrow can co-exist, that it is possible to lead a full life, even in a flimsy hut. That having an incomplete roof over our heads lets the star-light in.

The people at Deangelis Diamond took the small yet meaningful step of making signs to tell construction workers that they matter. Each sign is like tiny sukkah, reminding people who may be despairing that they are valuable. May the kind people of this construction company be blessed, just as they have blessed their employees.