Enjoy the Long Weekend — And Thank Washington and Lincoln

The President’s Day long weekend is upon us, a time when we can take a bit of a respite from the onslaught of winter (which finally started getting into gear this week) and enjoy time with our families during the public school vacation week.

For some of us, the break means a family ski vacation, for others a trip to warmer climes, and yet for others, perhaps a day just to relax and dream about the coming warmer weather with the thought that April 1 is just six weeks away.

The Washington’s Birthday holiday (before it was known as President’s Day and before it was turned into a long weekend) also traditionally has featured Open House sales events by car dealers, and no doubt many among us will take advantage of this opportunity to shop for good deals at our area auto showrooms.

The holiday weekend also brings the annual New England Boat Show (which opens this weekend at the Convention Center), when dreams of hot summer days on the water will at the very least bring a smile and a feeling of restfulness to many of us.

This year the long weekend also coincides with Valentine’s Day, which means that many of us will be doing something extra-special for the holiday break.

One thing we have noticed as the years have passed is that little is done to observe what it is that we ostensibly are celebrating, namely, the births of our two greatest Presidents, Abraham Lincoln (February 12) and George Washington (February 22).

So regardless of how we choose to observe the long weekend, let’s make the most of it for our families and ourselves to create memories that will last a lifetime.

And let us give a nod as well to George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. The reality is that if either of these great leaders had not accomplished what they did — in Washington’s case, creating the United States, and in Lincoln’s case, saving it — almost none of us who are reading this column would be here today. So think about that for a moment — and then say a silent, “Thank you,” to George and Abe.