Happy Birthday Mr. Lincoln

"If my name ever goes into history it will be for this act, and my whole soul is into it." 

-Abraham Lincoln Jan. 1, 1863

Neil and I took a long evening walk two and a half years ago to visit a shrine I had been most anticipating. I had soaked in every minute of our trip to Washington D.C., and our visit to the Lincoln Monument was no different. The structure that housed Lincoln's statue was massive, and the statue itself was enormous. It all seemed fitting for a man who was bigger than his time.

Abraham Lincoln has been my favorite president since history came alive to me in Miss Waddoups 5th grade classroom. She taught us all about the Civil War and about Abraham Lincoln. We walked into the classroom one day to find that she had divided the classroom into the North and the South, and we were to elect a president. I ran as Abraham Lincoln on the North side and won. We engaged in battles every day. Those battles involved races over the states and capitols, as opposed to the bloody battles of the original war. To this day, I remember all of the states and capitols, thanks to Miss Waddoups and her mock Civil War. This same teacher also required us to memorize a portion of the Gettysburg Address. I can recall this brilliant speech to this day. The poignancy of this pivotal time in our nation's history struck me 28 years ago in that tiny classroom and has remained with me ever since.

I have always had a special place in my heart for this president who saved the union and did away with the greatest atrocity of our short history. The challenge he faced must have seemed insurmountable, and yet he pushed forward, and accomplished the impossible. I believe that he was foreordained to this calling and was placed in this position by a higher power to fulfill a great work. He saved the Union. He saved this country.

I am currently reading Lincoln's Virtues: An Ethical Biography by  William Lee Miller. I daresay that there are few politicians in recent decades that we could  fill so much as a small flyer with their virtues, but this author devoted a 465 page book to the virtues and ethics of Abraham Lincoln. 

Abraham Lincoln was a self-made man who rejected many of the thoughts and actions of those around him. I will sight just a few interesting facts about Lincoln's character.

• Most males in his town hunted. Lincoln did not.
• Lincoln didn't fish either. He preferred to sit on the river bank and read Shakespeare.
• He was kind to animals, and insisted that others be kind to animals. He once preached a youthful sermon defending the right-to-life of ants.
• His father was a carpenter and a farmer. Lincoln did not like this form of labor and did not pursue it as an adult.
• Lincoln was a peacemaker, but was strong and could beat anyone in a fight if it became necessary.
• Most men drank in his day. Lincoln did not.
• Most men chewed tobacco and smoked in his day. Lincoln did not.
• Lincoln never used strong language.
• Lincoln did not gamble.
• The people in his state were prejudice against Native Americans. Lincoln was not. In fact, he stood between an Indian and an outraged man. As president, he declined to allow the mass execution of 303 Sioux.
• Lincoln lived in a democratic state. He was a Whig.
• Everyone around him supported Andrew Jackson. He supported Henry Clay.
• He was always opposed to slavery. He was always cordial and welcoming in his treatment of African-Americans whom he met.
• Lincoln was not happy with his meager public education, so he  taught himself through extensive reading. He even taught himself law.
• Lincoln grew up during the Second Great Awakening, and yet he chose not to join any of the religions. But he knew the Bible.
• He was fiercely loyal to his wife.

I am only a third of the way into this book, and can't wait to read more. What I have learned so far, is that Lincoln wasn't afraid to reject the norms of his place and time, if it didn't seem right for him. This must have given him the strength to fight the battles he did in politics. He did not place himself above others or preach his views to everyone. He was likable, and a great storyteller, and very humorous. He was a Whig in a democratic state, and yet he managed to get elected over and over again. He had a strong inner moral conviction that was a driving force in all that he did.

This statue sits within our nation's capitol building. It resembles a young senator, vibrant and full of life.

And here is another likeness of the same man after his presidency. He seems weary after a long struggle. The toll of the great burden he bore is apparent in his face.

Today is Abraham Lincoln's birthday. Let's not just think of this as a time to get a paid day off from work, but rather take just a moment to learn why we celebrate the lives of these great men. They were truly exemplary individuals, ones we should pattern our own lives after, as we do our part to preserve the country they fought so hard to save.

"...that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom - and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth." 

-Abraham Lincoln Nov. 19, 1863