Dear Reader:

This quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson is one of my all-time favorites. Recently it occurred to me it would make a beautiful epitaph. ( He/ She -name-scattered joy!)

I can think of no higher eulogy or adoration. What a great way to spend one’s time on earth-scattering joy! ( A ” Johnny Appleseed” of sorts, planting, growing, and spreading joy instead of apples… ” How do you like ‘dem’ apples?) 😂

We all know people who we can trust to make us feel better leaving than coming.” Goodness happens wherever you’ve been.” These special people just seem to have an internal sunshine around them and we leave comforted by knowing that the world can’t possibly be all bad because this person still lives in it.

Abraham Lincoln, who left more joy behind his administrative legacies, for more people, especially those enslaved with no hope of prior freedom or ownership, was plagued by melancholy his entire life… yet he could bring a smile or laughter to a situation or crowd gathered better than any other President. Laughter was literally his saving grace for his own personal fight against severe depression.

When historians look back on Lincoln’s life-altering achievements … improving peoples’ lives… their quality of life, restoring the American dream to a democracy … other Presidents fall far short in comparison… yet what a sacrifice this President made… his own life… to continue scattering joy .. while death threats filled his briefcase. And one, tragically, was carried out by a misguided man whose sought out scapegoats to blame for his personal misfortunes… his own selfish status in life.

You can always tell when I have been watching re-runs of the National Treasure movies starring Nicholas Cage because I becomes obsessed with some new historical tidbit I didn’t know or recognize before… This weekend all his National Treasure movies are running back to back … and I am just as enthralled as the first time I watched.

It made me sad that the concept of a ” National Treasure television ” series didn’t make it without Nicholas Cage starring and to date no third movie starring Nicholas Cage ( who is rumored to have stopped acting) has come to fruition.

The real shame, as a history teacher, was watching adolescents get involved and excited about history through the first two movies ( To a history teacher that is scattering joy.)

My most ” joyful ” moment in National Treasure was when Nicholas Cage says” Lincoln’s greatest accomplishment was turning a plural verb into a singular one… changing the direction and future of a ” We the People” government into a truer democracy.

Before the Civil War the United States was referred to as ” The United States ARE…” After the Civil War the term United States was followed by a singular verb… IS. The United States IS! What an amazing accomplishment!

So until tomorrow… Our goal as ” We the People” is to fight to maintain the IS because we are all ONE together and that is what makes our country great… all our inalienable rights must shared by all… not a few with big pockets …in order to maintain a democracy! Separate we are weak-together we are strong!

I stopped to take this photo yesterday when I passed this beautiful old Summerville home… a treasure in our town. If those walls could talk -they would share tales of courage and perseverance … surviving tropical storms, hurricanes, good and devastating economic times but yet here it stands in all its glory… dressed to celebrate our patriotic anniversary!

Today is my favorite day -Winnie the Pooh