Our usual Sunday morning ritual = movie and lunch.  This weekend, we went with a few friends to see Lincoln.  Daniel Day Lewis was so incredible as President Lincoln.  I can’t wait to see him win awards for that role.  He was exactly what I imagined and better.  There were quite a few faces I recognized in the movie, but they all did an incredible job portraying their Civil War characters.  Here is a side by side picture of the man himself and the character in the movie.  You can see the details they looked at to make it so realistic.  Seriously – absolutely amazing!

I had a few different emotions while watching this movie.  I should start by saying that I will probably only see this movie once.  I might watch it again after a decade or so, but it is long and it is mostly dialogue.  That being said, it was a powerful movie for me.

The movie follows Lincoln during the few months that he’s pushing to get the 13th amendment through and end the Civil War.  These are pivotal moments in history where big strides toward human equality were happening.  It showed how hard and passionate our government officials were on each side of the fight.  Although we are not fighting to abolish slavery in today’s government, we are still fighting for equality.  It was so moving to have such a powerful example of this same battle be played out before me on the big screen.  It was empowering to know that these battles can be won and you have to keep fighting for them.

With malice toward none, with charity for all.  – A. Lincoln 

We have a President today that has spoken out for what he believes even if he knows that he will face opposition in many different parts of our country and our government.  He has come out and voiced his support for same sex marriages.  He supports equality for all people. It is a blessing that we are no longer fighting for the right for people to vote or to own property, but there is still inequality in the United States and the fight is not over.  This movie was a perfect example of how difficult it can be sometimes to fight for the right thing.

If you’re walking down the right path and you’re willing to keep walking, eventually you’ll make progress. – B. Obama

As powerful as the story line was, the tears that welled up in my eyes during the movie didn’t come from the passionate fight for freedom or the courage of our former leaders (although that was amazing.)  This movie really made me miss my Grandpa.  Papa Couture passed away last August after a rough summer of pain and hospital trips.  I am the oldest of his grandchildren and was so lucky to get to spend 26 years with him.  He was a teacher his whole life and during the summers, he would take a break from his real teaching job and take me around the Midwest to different museums and landmarks so that I could learn from him as well.

My favorite trip we took was across the Dakotas the summer after 3rd grade.  We visited the Corn Palace in Mitchell, the Badlands, Wall Drug, Mount Rushmore, Reptile Gardens, Custer State Park, Devil’s Tower and then just about historical site in North Dakota (with a brief stop at the Bismarck Zoo.)  It was just me and my grandparents in their little car exploring the great plains.  History was so interesting when my Grandpa was teaching it, plus when I was that small, I just assumed he had been alive since the Revolutionary War.  I remember always being able to pick out items from the gift store and my favorites were the replicas of historical documents like the Declaration of Independence and the Emancipation Proclamation.  I loved the way the paper felt and I loved trying to read them out loud in my best presidential voice.

While I was watching this movie, I just kept thinking about how much Papa would have loved it.  He would have been able to answer all my questions after the movie.  Also, the way that Lincoln’s character walked in the movie reminded me of the way he moved.  I miss him lots and there are certain things that really trigger that emotion.  He helped me realize how important it is to understand where we came from because it helps us on on the journey ahead of us.  He was a brilliant man and was able to teach many people.

The teacher who is indeed wise does not bid you to enter the house of his wisdom but rather leads to you the threshold of your mind.  K. Gibran

Here are some of my favorite photos of Papa:

Papa is on the right – this is army language school (he was in the Korean War)
Newspaper clipping announcing Papa’s doctorate degree in education 
That’s Me 🙂
One of my favorites 🙂

 I am so grateful for the freedoms in my life.  I am also grateful for all the time I got to spend with my Grandpa.