Presidents Day, 2018...

I was one of the fortunate ones to not work today. It's Presidents Day, the last holiday, from which I get work off, for quite a while. I am very lucky. Most people in the world had to work as most people who have ever lived on this Earth have had to work every day just to survive.

It's easy to forget just how amazing a time we live in. I was able to stay in my home, protected from the much-needed snow that fell most of the night and day. I was warm, well-fed, and happy. And, through the miracle of modern technology, I was able to watch sporting events taking place on the other side of the globe after watching one of the biggest movies from 2017, Wonder Woman. Good flick.

I was also able to do the family's laundry and a load of dishes. Had I wanted to, I could have driven to a local furniture store and saved a good 15% on a refrigerator, a big screen TV, a recliner, or a sectional. Apparently many people do. If I had lived a hundred years ago, my day would have been much much different.

Today we celebrate the leaders of our nation. There have been forty-five since 1789, 229 years. They've come from all different walks of life, different backgrounds, all men. They all had strengths and weaknesses, joys and pains. Like armchair quarterbacks, many non-presidents say what they would do if they were presidents--some may have good ideas, but I imagine most of their brilliant ideas are anything but. That responsibility--that mantle--is a heavy burden to bear. Just look at a photo of an American president at his inaugural and then how the same man looks four or eight years later when his successor takes that mantle away. Sure, none of us look the same after four or eight years, but for those men, it seems like it took a much larger toll.

This morning I walked into the kitchen and saw my daughter reading a book, snow falling gently outside, one of our cats sat contented behind her. I took a few pictures. It's a simple picture--similar pictures are taken by fathers of their daughters everyday all over the world. Now, the photo doesn't scream "Presidents Day," but for me, it's a reminder of this amazing place and how blessed I am to live here. I hope your Presidents Day finds you healthy and loved.