President's Day has become simply a day when kids expect time off from school. But the day was first celebrated in 1880 as an honor to President Washington, our nation's first and most popular president. Unlike presidents like Abraham Lincoln, who was only universally recognized as a great president after his death, George Washington enjoyed almost unanimous support from his nation during his presidency. There were a few notable exceptions to this, of course (chief of which were Thomas Jefferson and James Madison). But even in his day, Washington had the heart of the American people.
Today, we seem to have forgotten something in the angry, stone-throwing politics.The most basic respect and honor is lacking in our heated debates and our proud declarations of what we believe to be true.
Probably this is due to the misconception that to "honor" and "respect" someone means to agree with them. This is not the case. We may politely disagree with our leaders without blackening their names to everyone we meet.
The best way to hold our leaders in honor is by praying for them. It is impossible to consistently pray for people without discovering a right attitude toward them in the process.