Abraham Lincoln was known for his kindness toward others, how he pardoned so many men, even on the day he died, always looking for ways to explain a soldier’s misbehavior. Desertion, for example, he viewed as acute homesickness that just couldn’t be helped, often exasperating Edwin Stanton, his stern Secretary of War.
Despite the dire circumstances of the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln clearly understood the frailty of humanity more than most.
“Every one likes a compliment,” Lincoln observed; everyone needs praise for the work they are doing. Frequently, he penned handwritten notes to his colleagues, extending his gratitude for their actions…Leadership in Turbulent Times…page 224
I so get this, agreeing wholeheartedly how important it is to bestow a kind word.
I know when one comes my way, the difference it makes, like sun suddenly shining on my shoulders. One walks a little taller when they’re noticed, feeling more valued in the world.
What troubles me is how rare praise has become. Why is that? Too busy with social media to take the time perhaps?
Lincoln died in 1865, 153 years ago, yet I still pen that handwritten note the way he did, making my words more felt and tangible when held in one’s hand.
I don’t get many, but send them just the same. A friend chided me recently for what I spend on cards and postage. She’s cheap by nature so I can’t expect her to understand the goodness of it, for the receiver as well as the sender.
Wouldn’t it be great to have a Lincoln of our very own, not just one to read about and remember?
They say history repeats itself.
SB