LOVE

 

LOVE...

puts the fun in together; 

the sad in apart; 

the hope in tomorrow; 

the joy in a heart !

Abraham Lincoln

 Today is Abraham Lincoln's birthday.

When I was a little girl in grade school, we celebrated both George Washington's birthday on February 22nd, and Abraham Lincoln's birthday on February 12th.  I remember we learned fun facts about each of these presidents and usually did a craft project which featured something about them.  Though these two days were not school holidays, still they were important occasions in my young life..

Then at some point, the two birthdays got morphed into a generic President's Day which was meant for inclusion of ALL United States presidents, not just the first and the 16th.  I guess singling out those two outstanding leaders looked like an exclusivity instead of the respect each of them deserved--way above and beyond the other presidents.  So, came about President's Day on the third Monday every February.  And oh, what a coincidence--a three-day weekend that spawns a proliferation of sales and bargains and other ways to celebrate!  It has always made me wonder if it's all about the shopping and not the well-earned respect.

But today, I was thinking about just Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865).

I'm not even sure if most people in the country--especially kids and young people--are even aware Lincoln is best known for preserving the Union during the American Civil War and for emancipating the slaves. 

Well known facts include that he was of humble origins, but a self-educated lawyer in frontier Illinois, noted not only for his shrewdness and practical common sense, but also for his invariable fairness and honesty.  In one account of Lincoln's life which I read recently, the author attributed Lincoln's style of leadership as coming from his confidence in "The People" and his belief that all said people are to have equal access to the resources of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness as outlined in the Declaration of Independance.

As I was reviewing today some of Lincoln's accomplishments, I decided to reread the Gettysburg Address delivered on November 19, 1863, to dedicate Gettysburg National Cemetery.  This short dedicatory speech reiterates his belief "The People" will carry forward the ideals of freedom which we continue to benefit from today.

Thank you for your confidence in us, President Lincoln, and Happy Birthday!