It's George Washington's Birthday!

Today is George Washington's birthday, which was once a nationally honored holiday. He was born on February 22,1732 and this would be his 274th birthday.

Unfortunately, this historical day will go virtually unnoticed because the celebration of the birthday of the Father of our Country became nondescript at the adoption of President's Day, a designated day to honor Lincoln and Washington's birthday combined. It hasn't worked. Now it is merely the third Monday in February which makes for a long weekend for banks and federal workers...a day for shopping at President's Day sales.

It was necessary to combine the birthdays of our two most celebrated presidents to be able to make space in our national calendar of holidays for Martin Luther King Day. Those who are critical of that decision are likely to be called racists, but that's another subject for another time.

To honor this day of the birth of our most venerated president, it would be good to read at least one, if not a few of his most celebrated speeches. Probably his most famous is his Farewell Address. It's lengthy, but an important historical document, well worth reading.

Another important read is George Washington's Rules of Civility. There are 110 of them and they illustrate what a principled gentleman George Washington really was. These "rules" are tools every parent can use for themselves and their kids. A must read!

Washington's First Inaugural Address and his Proclamation for National Thanksgiving are definitely worth reading.

Check out the History Channel's "this day in history" for a short bio.

Today may no longer be a nationally recognized holiday, but it's still the birthday of one of the greatest, if not the greatest president of the United States. He deserves more than just a passing thought.