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I'm an Abraham Lincoln groupie. 

I collect Lincoln memorabilia, and my favorite place in Washington D.C. is the Lincoln Memorial where I stand in awe of his magnificent eloquence and his legacy of honor, courage, compassion, humility, and humor.

Self-educated, 

self-made, 

Lincoln was a skillful lawyer and effective politician whose character made his name almost synonymous with integrity. 

He was an inspirational leader who really believed in democracy—a government of the people, by the people, for the people. Empathy and compassion were in his blood. 

He felt the pain of others as deeply as any man could; yet duty made him a leader of our nation's bloodiest war.

Now one of the most esteemed men in history, he was great but humble; funny but often depressed. In his own time he was more often ridiculed than revered and was belittled as an unrefined bumpkin. 

But Lincoln understood the difference between real character and reputation, describing character as a tree and reputation as the shadow of the tree.

His face is carved on Mount Rushmore and adorns our pennies and five-dollar bills. But it is Lincoln's tree, his character, that stands so tall and strong. He honors our nation and proves what we are all capable of being.

-michael josephson