Honest Abe For Warm Heart Wednesday #21

Welcome to Warm Heart Wednesday sponsored by Ms. Jenny at Jenny Matlock..."off on my tangent."  This is where we weekly share something that warmed our hearts.

I was stumped this week, so I googled "warm hearted" to see what would come up.

First was the definition:

Simple Definition of warmhearted:

having or showing kindness, sympathy, and affection

 

In searching I found that our 16th President, Abraham Lincoln, was known as a warmhearted person.

He had many honorable traits.  They didn't call him "Honest Abe" for nothing.  He was known for being completely honest.  That's kind of unusual for someone that reaches the level he did in the political world.  People trusted and admired him.

He was sympathetic.  He was able to put himself in other people shoes and understand their needs.  After all this was the man that helped free the slaves.

He was a good listener.  He encouraged people.  He wrote his own speeches and had a way with words.  Remember the Gettysburg Address?

He could see good in people...even his enemies.

He was confident in himself and not afraid to listen to other opinions.  He won over many of his rivals this way.

He had a temper, but knew how to deal with it.  When angry he would often write a letter to the person he was mad at and then not mail it.  (Needless to say, there was no Twitter back then.)

He had a strong sense of integrity.  He was able to compromise, but never waver from his core principals.  In other words he didn't flip flop to try and gain more votes.

When things went wrong he didn't get caught up in the blame game.  He took responsibility even if it was someone in his inner circle that made the mistake.  He practiced humility.

He was genuine and kind to others.  One example is the letter he wrote to a mother that lost five sons in the Civil War:

Executive Mansion,
Washington, Nov. 21, 1864.

Dear Madam,--
I have been shown in the files of the War Department a statement of the Adjutant General of Massachusetts that you are the mother of five sons who have died gloriously on the field of battle.

I feel how weak and fruitless must be any word of mine which should attempt to beguile you from the grief of a loss so overwhelming. But I cannot refrain from tendering you the consolation that may be found in the thanks of the Republic they died to save.

I pray that our Heavenly Father may assuage the anguish of your bereavement, and leave you only the cherished memory of the loved and lost, and the solemn pride that must be yours to have laid so costly a sacrifice upon the altar of freedom.

Yours, very sincerely and respectfully,
A. Lincoln

 

Yes, President Lincoln gets my vote for being a warmhearted person. 

 

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

 

Now head over to Jenny's blog for a list of this week's participants.