Yesterday morning The Today Show did a story on Sarah Palin. It wasn't a story about her politics or her readiness for office, her eyeglasses nor her choice of shoes. It was a story about her and Trig, and the audience she is attracting as a result of her son's presence on the campaign trail.

Whatever you feel about Gov. Palin it is hard to deny her courage. I disagree with those who claim she is exploiting Trig. I see the opposite. I see a mother who is proud of her son and dedicated to him. I see a mother who, together with her husband, is finding a way to balance family and career. It may not be the perfect balance nor the choice I would have made with a young baby with special needs at home. But she is doing it and, seems to me, doing it well.

As I watched the interview I was struck by her vulnerability. Her emotions seemed to be barely beneath the surface. This is where I see her courage. She began this process when Trig was 4 months old. FOUR MONTHS OLD! As the story revealed she has been thrust into the special needs community, and right or wrong, has become their superstar. She is interacting with people with Down syndrome of all ages along with their families.

When Wil was Trig's age it was still hard for me to talk about Down syndrome with strangers without fighting back tears. Everything was still so new, I was still learning, I was still getting to know Wil - he was actually just starting to wake up, I was still coming to terms with what Down syndrome meant for us then and in the future. I was still having a hard time interacting with the Down syndrome community. I went to a couple support groups but didn't continue because it was hard to see the older kids. It was hard to hear their stories. And I definitely was still having a hard time seeing adults with Ds. My emotions, mixed up as they were, sat just beneath the surface. I simply cannot imagine being out there like Sarah Palin is.

But Gov. Palin is out there. I do believe it is courageous. Whether she goes back to Alaska in a few weeks or ends up in D.C. I believe she has done a great thing bringing awareness to Down syndrome and I believe that she will continue to be a great advocate for our children.

And while I am on Sarah Palin I will leave you with this article from Camille Paglia of Salon.com. (It begins about five paragraphs down, after the bolded section.) I have been perplexed by some of the feminist attack of Palin and the anger from which it comes. I find this article on the subject interesting in part because of the woman behind the keypad.