I miss Abe, and I have the shirt to prove it!

I must confess upfront that I am an Abraham Lincoln groupie. Honest Abe. A good man made great by the times? Or a great man who came along at the right time? Visiting the Land of Lincoln, in spite of the merchandizing from bobble heads to shot glasses, one cannot escape the somber yet powerful presence of, in my view, the greatest US President ever.

The Lincoln museum and Presidential library have compelling photos, diaries, letters and artifacts to remind us of the incredibly painful US Civil War. Although the Civil War and Lincoln’s contributions to save this great union are ever present, there is no hiding the human and deeply personal side of President Lincoln.

There is much to admire in a President who can laugh at himself even in the most trying of times. Lincoln was a loving father, criticized for allowing his children too much freedom of thought and access to him during his working hours. He was criticized for being far too conservative in his efforts to abolish Slavery, and equally criticized for being far too liberal in the same efforts.

Visiting his home and his final resting place was a bittersweet pleasure. What would he think of the beautiful mausoleum that is topped by a large sculpture of himself, and 3 painful sculptures of Civil War Battle? While we cannot deny that the overseeing the Civil War was his greatest pain and triumph, would he not want something that symbolized the reunification of this country, due to his ultimate sacrifices?

The most important thing I learned on this trip was that according to Mary Todd Lincoln, the president adored cats. Could that be the secret to his ability to navigate the shark infested waters of D.C.?

Without being too political, Abraham Lincoln said: “America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves.” I miss Abe.