February, Short and Sweet

February draws to an end.

That was fast!

A few cool things to remember about the shortest month:

* February is African American History Month. If you weren't paying attention, check out the great website below. I believe that looking at the cultures of all people, not just the one we belong to, enriches our lives. After all, black history is American history.

Click HERE for links to some really great media from the site.

* February is the Month of Love - but every month should be. Beyond Valentine's Day, I'll think about the many faces of love, what it has meant to people throughout time and how we have tried to define it. Check out the quotes at the link. I think I like the wry and funny ones best, but this one is most inspiring:

I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear.

- The Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King, Jr.

* February is the birth month of Abraham Lincoln and George Washington. If you haven't seen it, check out Daniel Day-Lewis' brilliant portrayal of our 16th president in the Steven Spielberg film "Lincoln". The best depiction of George Washington wasn't on film, it was on television. I love Barry Bostwick's wonderful depiction of our first president in the 1984 mini-series, available on DVD from Amazon or at your local library.

If I couldn't think of anything else good about February, I'd be glad about one thing: this is the month that I was born, too.

On to March...

Was it the smile of early spring
That made my bosom glow?
'Twas sweet, but neither sun nor wind
Could raise my spirit so.

Was it some feeling of delight,
All vague and undefined?
No, 'twas a rapture deep and strong,
Expanding in the mind!

- Anne Bronte, In Memory of A Happy Day in February