August Happiness Challenge -- Day 2

Today's happiness -- Abraham Lincoln and Henry Fonda. Young Mr. Lincoln is the classic chosen this week by my movie group. Somehow I'd never seen it! Considering how I revere Abe, and my love of old movies, and my massive crush on young Henry Fonda, you'd think I'd have seen this a dozen times. But no, today was my first viewing. It didn't disappoint.

He's a crafty, charming country lawyer, willing to be vulgar if it wins him points with townspeople and jurors. Self-taught and very talented. Filled with a kindness and an integrity that can't be supressed. Henry Fonda embodies all that. 

There's a moment when the defendants' mother is on the stand and Mr. Lincoln talks to her and about her, tears of compassion in his eyes, and I welled up, too.

I know enough about Abraham Lincoln to know that the movie got a lot wrong: names are changed (witnesses, defendants, victim and even "Abe," no one called him "Abe" in those days); Ann Rutledge and Mr. Lincoln were likely never involved; he was ambitious and didn't need to be persuaded to study law; Mr. Lincoln was already a wealthy and well-established lawyer when he took this case, not the novice he's portrayed ... but I don't care. This movie captured his spirit and soul. 

Each day in August you are to post about something that makes *you* happy. Pretty simple. And, it doesn't even have to be every day if you don't want it to be. It's a great way to remind ourselves that there are positive things going on in our lives, our communities, and the world.