Lincoln: At Home With His Boys!

Visiting the Lincoln Home National Historic Site brought a smile to my face today. The actual home is beautiful. Did you know that the home sits in a neighborhood with other historical homes and the entire block is part of the park? In a normal year, you would see historical reenactors walking around the community sharing stories of the past. Today it was just us and Ranger Jasmine. She shared many stories about how much Lincoln loved his boys. We saw the parlor where they wrestled and played checkers. We saw the kitchen where they ate Mary Todd Lincoln's famous almond cake. We saw the room where their son, Eddie, died. We touched the actual bannister that Lincoln used as he walked up the stairs each night. We saw his original desk where many of the historical papers were written for the debate between Douglas and himself. We learned that his life was filled with transparency and compassion. Lincoln often played with the neighborhood children in his free time. He read all the time and took Willie and Tad to the circus, plays, and concerts. His oldest son, Robert, actually gave the home to the state of Illinois. His only request was that they take care of it and never charge admission. The state and National Parks have honored his request. 

If you have a chance, visit there. Learn more about this family that loved and lived together in Springfield, Illinois. They suffered grief and celebrated good times. Lincoln grew up in a modest home, met the love of his life, worked hard, loved his family, and became the President of the United States. His words still inspire us today. 

“My Best Friend is a person who will give me a book I have not read.”
― Abraham Lincoln

“Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power.”
― Abraham Lincoln

“My concern is not whether God is on our side; my greatest concern is to be on God's side, for God is always right.”
― Abraham Lincoln

“I'm a success today because I had a friend who believed in me and I didn't have the heart to let him down.”
― Abraham Lincoln