and still he walked

When Abraham Lincoln was a young boy, his mother, Nancy Hanks, whom everyone adored, passed away. She had been a beacon of light for young Abe.

And still he walked.

When he was a bit older, Abraham Lincoln lost his first true love, Anne Rutledge.

And still he walked.

Shortly after he lost Anne, his older sister Sarah passed away in childbirth. Lincoln could not contain his grief and some say he went mad.

And still he walked.

In Springfield, Lincoln lost his second son, Eddie, to tuberculosis.

And still he walked.

The first casualty for the Union side was a man whom Lincoln knew and loved.

And still he walked.

In 1862, with the Civil War just heating up, Lincoln lost his son Willie, whom he held in a special place in his heart.

And still he walked.

With all the weight of the world on his shoulders, with the death of hundreds of thousands of men seeming to fall on his shoulders, still he walked.

And he became one of the greatest men history has known.

When the weight of the world seems to be on you, when a cloud of despair seems to be following you, what can stop you from walking? What can stop you from doing what must be done?

Only think of Abraham Lincoln, whose face bore all of his grief and whose back carried an entire nation.

10 comments

  1. Lincoln is such a great example of the many hallmarks that we need as entrepreneurs and game changers.

    I’ve heard many people talk about Lincoln, how many times he’s failed and what he then did to make something work.

    Never fails to ignite that force in me, to seriously do some damage. Thanks.

    1. He’s an extremely inspirational man, especially when you remember he was in fact a man and not just a walking statue. Thanks for the comment 🙂

  2. I have found inspiration in other people’s suffering that always seemed to be bigger than mine. I keep walking always because I believe in the power of life more than anything else. However, I recently lost a good friend to suicide, and this time it triggered me more than other tragic losses I had experienced earlier, maybe because I had absolutely no idea he was suffering from depression, a condition that I thought I too well knew.

    I decided to be more open about it after this trauma. And also to educate not to be too judgemental about clouds of despairs: it is not as simple as it may look.

    1. So sorry to hear about your loss. Depression is such a scary thing. Like a tornado, it can come down from the sky 5 minutes after the world was lit up by sunshine.

      Talking about it does help, but I think in Lincoln’s case having something to work and live for was also the key. He wanted to make sure he was remembered for something great.

      I think he did a pretty good job!

      Thank you very much for sharing your thoughts and your story. I really appreciate it.

  3. Thought provoking and motivating. Sometimes going back to history to learn lessons of those that left a legacy no matter how many situations they had.

    There are so many important people like Abraham Lincoln that many people don’t even know a small portion of there story.

    Awesome story!

  4. Margie, this is beautiful! We often forget that others have chosen to continue to walk forward despite the tragedy that diverts them on their path. While it may seem easier to curl up in a ball and rock in the corner, it is this lovely reminder that each of us has the strength to stand up and choose to summon that courage and grace.

    Just as Abraham Lincoln still walked, he didn’t do so alone on an isolated road. He had people walk with him to give him support. And each of us is no different.

    Thank you,
    Sara

    1. Exactly right, Sara. For each loss he suffered, he found more reasons to keep going, keep fighting, and keep living. The ultimate tragedy is that his own life was cut short after all of those battles.

      Thank you for your comment!

  5. Hi Margie – Your post just resonated with me in a special way. I grew up and lived in Charleston, West Virginia until 2009, when we retired and moved to North Carolina. In Charleston, I lived about 2 miles from the State Capitol Building where there was a statue of Abraham Lincoln (who declared West Virginia an independent state from Virginia in 1863). The statue is called “Lincoln Walks at Midnight” and here is a photo. Now, it seems so much more meaningful to me that I understand his “walks”. They say he signed the proclamation making WV a state at the last hour on December 31, 1962. I just read an article on http://www.wvculture.org that I had never read and just got a greater understanding of what throught process President Lincoln used in declaring WV a state (his first of two states created during his Administration). Thanks for making me want to know more about my own history. http://www.flickr.com/photos/thebaldwins723/3086276536/

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