Today, I am thankful for grit.
If one was to look back at the history of this day (Apr 14), they would envision a gloomy theme and conclude with one common point: April 14 really sucks.
I thought it might be wise for me to share a few salient examples to support my case. First, in 1861, the US Army surrendered at Fort Sumter on this day in 1861. In 1912, the RMS Titantic collided with an iceberg off the coast of Newfoundland on this same day. In 1935, a massive dust storm caused massive damage to the US states on the Plains, leading to its notorious characterization as ‘Black Sunday.’ The world awoke in 1970 to discover that a massive accident had occurred the night before n Apollo 13. And, of course, on this day in 1865, President Lincoln was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth in Fords Theater in Washington DC, just days following the end of the Civil War.
Even worse, if you look up what today is known for, it’s officially National Ex Spouse Day. Folks, I can’t make this stuff up.
Nevertheless, I wanted to use this fateful day to commemorate human grit. As described in her recent best seller on this topic, the author Angela Duckworth describes grit as the power of passion and persistence to achieve success despite significant obstacles. In her estimation, grit trumps talent, and I think she’s right.
Let me tell you of the story about a man named Bill. Born in the town of Florida, New York (a place I did not know existed) in 1801, this son of a wealthy farmer would matriculate his way to becoming a successful lawyer, state and national senator, and governor of the Empire State. In 1860, he ran for President of the United States as a Republican. He was passionate and persistence in his revolutionary viewpoints. However, his forceful stand on the abolition of slavery, his fiery support for immigration, and his suave, big city ethos as both a governor and senator soured the American populace. In turn, Lincoln and his more temperate perspectives won the party’s nomination and the eventual presidency. However, Lincoln knew Bill was visionary and he invited him to serve as his Secretary of State in a hand-written letter that is now legendary. Touched by the odd gesture from his enemy, Bill accepted. As the Civil War broke out, Bill remained the most determined opponent of slavery and negotiated forcefully with foreign nations to avoid interference in the national conflict, thereby deterring them from supporting the Confederate states. Behind the scenes, he kept the Union intact during a time of war.
On this same day that Lincoln was shot and killed, Bill was also attacked in an assassination attempt at his home by Lewis Powell, an accomplice of Booth. He fell unconscious, having been stabbed in the face and neck five times. His family thought he was dead, but he miraculously gained consciousness. Amazingly, he survived. More remarkable is that he continued to serve as Secretary of State under Andrew Johnson for another 4 years. During his tenure, the US adopted favorable immigration policies and expanded its territory with the purchase of Alaska from the Russians.
William Seward had grit. He stood up for what he believed with passion and persistence. On this day, it’s also only fitting we celebrate National Reach as High as You Can Day. May you conjure the grit of your inner Seward to do just that.
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