There is a little-known holiday which takes place in February (so no, it’s not Valentine’s Day), and my guess is that not many people know why we celebrate it or even what it is exactly.
President’s Day is observed on the third Monday in February, and this year, it will be on February 20. Originally, the holiday was set apart on February 22 to commemorate President Washington’s birthday, but in the 1960s, President’s Day was moved to its current calendar location to include the celebration of President Lincoln’s February 12 birthday.
Modern participators may simply recognize it as a day to get off work, and while I’ll certainly be enjoying it from that aspect, this year, I have a slightly different view of the holiday. Apart from being former U.S. Presidents, these two men (and all great men and women of history) have one key theme in common: legacy.
Truly, these two men left incredible legacies. George Washington helped young America to become a true nation, rose to power as our first President, and then left after two terms, setting the precedent that Presidential power ought not to be overextended. He was elected to office unanimously, and even in a poll within the last 20 years garnered nearly a 100% approval rate.
Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President, is best-known for leading the United States during the Civil War and for his Emancipation Proclamation which led to the abolishment of slavery in America. Just two years before being elected as President, Lincoln lost a Senatorial election. (If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again, eh?) He was also a businessman, lawyer, and judge before his years as a national leader.
Though we may not consider the contributions of these two great Americans in our day-to-day lives, their influences surely can be felt! After all, we owe them many aspects of our freedoms. And we can also see their impacts in the way we live our lives.
George Washington stated that “happiness and moral duty are inseparably connected”; similarly, Abraham Lincoln said that we should live “with malice toward none, with charity for all.” Thus, in many aspects of how we choose to live our lives- in our freedoms and in our love- their legacies live on.
At Perka, we are very aware and even sensitive to the legacies that we leave on the world. We’ve been firstly impacted by our founder, Ed “E.T.” Thevenot, (who’s birthday, by the way, is February 17!!) but also by all our leaders, teammates, tribemates, and of course our suppliers, partners, customers, clients, allies.
As humans, we can learn from and grow after each person we meet, and we want you to be able to learn and grow with us! That’s why we have extended our 50-year frame warranty to a lifetime warranty: because we want to make sure we can serve and impact you as long as you live and so that you can serve and impact others with your stronger, S.A.F.E.R. building! We hope you choose to “build” your legacy with us as we strive for a lifetime of legacy together. Happy President’s Day.
