Understanding Mary Lincoln

[Anita]

This podcast addresses a question that tour guides at the Lincoln Cottage are sometimes asked about Mary Lincoln and how best to reply. Given the complexity of the the question and the context of responding to it on a tour, what should the answer be to "Was She Crazy?"

After reading the transcript, I was once again reminded that given the enormity of grief, trauma, health issues and personal attacks to her character, Mary was a survivor. It's to her credit she functioned as well as she did. While I've read the history of Mary's behavior many times, this Lincoln Cottage podcast added an emotional foundation for empathy.

The tie-in to the new exhibit on the Lincolns' grief and child loss is especially moving. "Dr. Joanne Cacciatore, a research professor at Arizona State University and the founder of the MISS Foundation, which helps people who are grieving the death of a child at any age and from any cause. Joanne provided expertise and guidance on our approach to the exhibit. How does a person’s experience of the world change after they have been bereaved, or lost a child in this case?" Dr. Cacciatore's reply is a must read.

"Was She Crazy?" Towards the end of the podcast the question is "Just what does crazy mean? Joan Cummins, one of the producers says "A lot of the time, saying someone is “crazy” just means that you don’t understand the reasons for that person’s behavior. They’re behaving in a way you can’t explain."