Finding Mr. Lincoln

Other than family, our mobile lifestyle has few constants, but the one thing we've never had to live without is Abraham Lincoln.  Shortly after Jacob was born, we moved the family to Illinois for Chris to attend law school and made Lincoln's home state our own.  Three years later, we moved to Springfield, Lincoln's home town and Chris practiced law across the town square from where Lincoln's law office still stands. 

Needless to say, we learned a lot about the 16th president during our four and half years in the "Land of Lincoln," and we saw him everywhere we went, especially since his face decorated both our front and rear car bumpers.  One year we even got lost in a corn maze shaped like his head.

Here's four-year-old Jacob posing with Lincoln in his hometown.

And six-year-old Jacob found his hat.

Benjy found Lincoln on his penny last year (and at his monument in Washington, D.C.).

And Chris found him on his five dollar bills.

But the last place we expected to find Abraham Lincoln was Tijuana.

Lincoln stands resolutely in the center of a roundabout on Paseo De Los Heroes among Mexico's greatest heroes.  The bronze statue depicts a strong and determined president, breaking the bonds of slavery with his bare hands.  Even though his legs have been defiled by graffiti, this statue in the cultural heart of Tijuana, is by far my favorite depiction of one of the U.S.'s greatest presidents.  And its presence makes Tijuana feel just a little bit more like home.

 

*Note to readers:  It did not take us six months to find Lincoln in Tijuana.  However, it did take four months of Chris driving around him in circles for me to take a decent picture and another two months for me to get around to posting it.