The Notebook: Celebrating Lincoln

Katie Couric is on assignment. February 12 is not a national holiday. It never was. But it is the birthday of our 16th president, Abraham Lincoln.

Remembrances of Lincoln tend to get lumped into the celebrations on Monday - George Washington's birthday, popularly known as Presidents Day. It's kind of like being that kid whose birthday falls a little too close to Christmas, cheated out of a chance for two great gifts.

But not this year. It's the bicentennial of Lincoln's birth, and there are events happening all over the country.

Last night the Ford's Theater reopened in Washington after an 18-month, $25 million renovation, it shines like a brand new penny again.

The guest of honor was our 44th president, Barack Obama, seated beside First Lady Michelle Obama in the front row.

Perhaps Lincoln doesn't need a holiday. He has a living legacy, an embodiment of the ideal to which he gave his life: freedom.