September 5, 2008 11:18 AM
Husbands of hard-working moms weigh in on Palin
Anthony from San Antonio, Texas writes:
Thank you for your kinds words about Sarah Palin. My wife also works 12 hour shifts as a critical care nurse and makes time to home school our two teenage boys at home. She also makes time to help out with bible classes and assist those who are physically in need. I believe God has blessed me with a wonderful wife, mother and she is just a great person who makes me want to be a better man.
Sarah Palin reminds me of my wife and many other women who accomplish so much and never murmur.
God bless you and your entire family!
Thanks, Anthony for writing. You and your wife are blessed to have each other, that's for sure.
Watching the palin family, I've felt that Todd and Sarah were blessed to have each other. They seem comfortable in who they are, not worried about projecting anything special, just being true to themselves.
I often wondered what it would be like for the spouse of a woman in office. Todd makes it look easy and natural. I do not get the sense that he feels in any way emasculated, shortchanged, competitive, or bitter.
He seems as confident in his manhood as he is in his wife's ability to serve others in the capacity to which she has been called.
I found Anthony's comment refreshing because it reflected the same generous spirit and because he sees the precious interdependence and interplay between husband and wife: she is just a great person who makes me want to be a better man.
What do you men - or the men in your life - think?
Posted in Campaign 2008, Marriage | Permalink
Comments
Yes, Sarah Palin is "one of us."
What will ultimately matter is whether she stays that way if and when she becomes Vice President. See the article Will Vice President Palin remember her middle class roots?.
Posted by: Ed G. | September 5, 2008 11:31 AM
My husband gave me the best compliment ever.
He said "Gov. Palin's great, she's really passionate about her beliefs, lives by her convictions, is very strong, and very loving...she reminds me alot of you."
And then I jumped for joy to be even mentioned in the same sentence as Gov. Palin!
I'm not a working mother right now, but my husband and I do tag team to go to school. I'm studying to be a nurse, so we'll probably continue tag teaming until my husband is finished with law school, when the plan is for me to stay home to homeschool.
Anyways, just because this is our "plan" doesn't mean that we think badly of anyone who has a different plan. As long as the children are loved and cared for, the exact logistics aren't all that important. Plus, as VP I'm sure that the logistics will be much easier with all the help/tutors ect that the children will have access to.
Posted by: Lauren | September 5, 2008 11:33 AM
Pictures of the future First Dude with his children:
http://parentingfreedom.com/2008/09/05/first-dude-todd-palin-involved-father-pictures/
Posted by: Carol (parenting freedom) | September 5, 2008 12:55 PM
Thanks for your article as published online in The Christian Science Monitor. I don't know what Christian Science is, nor anything about you, but I appreciate your articles response to the below-the-belt punches. As I chatted in depth with my own husband regarding why Senator McCain would choose Mrs. Palin for his VP, one particular thing in his dialog struck me, "It's obvious he (Senator McCain) could not find a man to do the job." I love my husband's integrity. While we believe a mother's best role is in her home, we cannot nor will not negate the fact, that women have been instrumentally throughout history, and no doubt Mrs. Palin has been raised up for such a time as this. Kindest regards,
Posted by: Loretta | September 5, 2008 1:55 PM
Barbara,
My wife is also cut from the same type of cloth as Gov. Sarah Palin. I mentioned this to my neighbor as we were cleaning up after Gustav and my wife was so impressed that she posted it on her blog(http://classicallycatholic.blogspot.com/).
The thing is, there are thousands of Sarah Palin's out there and now they have a rallying point for them to focus on. I, and the men who are married to them, do not feel slighted; in fact, we are proud we have someone to walk beside us that will constantly challenge us to be better men.
Mike
Posted by: Mike | September 5, 2008 2:32 PM
We've had this conversation in our home...what if it were me? What if it were our one of our daughters?
My husband has no equivocation. He would support any of "his" women wholeheartedly if God had so gifted us and called us. He not only supports mothering, he supports US.
He has stated that if it were our daughter, he would be completely willing to up and move, to follow her, to care for her children, her home, etc., to allow her all of her free time to be with her children.
Todd Palin, and men like my husband, are incredible men. I'm proud of them.
Posted by: Holly | September 5, 2008 3:02 PM
Y'all, Go LOOK at those pictures on Carol's site. Look at the (healthy) pride on Todd's face. Look how he adores his wife and kids. Wow. All women should have a man that looks at them like that!
Posted by: Holly | September 5, 2008 3:05 PM
Your article on Sarah Palin was great. As a husband and father of 3, I see my wife
handle everything that is thrown at her constantly.
The feminist should be praising Sarah, not attacking her.
She is a real woman that the feminist wish they could be.
Thank you for your article. It is nice to see a good woman write about another good woman.
May God Bless you
Ray
Posted by: Ray | September 5, 2008 3:41 PM
We need to add a new adjective to our vocabulary..."palinesque." As in my wife is very palinesque....which of course I would use to describe our "queen of bloggophery," my wife, mother to our 12 children, and grandmother of 12. She "does it all" with humility,grace, confidence,love,purpose,and ruthless pursuit of the truth. You too, have called me to a higher purpose in life. Love you Babe!
Posted by: Tripp | September 5, 2008 3:46 PM
Oh my...I got all choked up reading the responses from the guys! Thanks for pitching in you guys! It is so REFRESHING to hear you voice praises to your wife. And Tripp, I wholeheartedly support adding the "palinesque" word to our vocabulary!
I only hope to be doing as great as a job as other women out there, so my husband can talk with such confidence about me as you all do about your wives.
God bless.
You men ROCK!!!!!
Posted by: LadyLovas | September 5, 2008 5:49 PM
My seventeen year old son told me this week that if his wife wanted to be vice-president he would be completely on board. I'm hoping we have a few years between now and then, lol.
Posted by: Sandy | September 5, 2008 8:29 PM
Tripp, I LOVE it! And we love your Queen of bloggophery. :)
Posted by: Holly | September 5, 2008 10:01 PM
I admit, I am one of those people who believes that women belong at home with their children. I think it is inherently wrong for children to be dropped of at daycare 40 hours a week so that mom can work. It's the way I was raised, and I hated it.
But we know from the example of the Proverbs 31 woman that it is possible for a woman to pursue creative outlets and make money without abandoning her rightful role as homemaker. You prove this, Barbara, and I think Sarah Palin does as well.
They say it was wrong for her to "brag" about going back to work when her son was only 3 days old, and normally I'd agree. But from everything I've seen, I'd bet anything that when she went back, Trig went with her. I've yet to see a photo of Palin without one of her children. Those close to her say she's never had a full-time babysitter, and that she breastfeeds during meetings. I don't see how that's different from the mothers of old who slung the baby on their backs because they had farm work to get back to.
Posted by: Michelle Potter | September 6, 2008 12:07 PM
Dear Barbara,
I think the issue that liberals have with Mrs Palin is that she isn't one of them. She loves and respects her husband, she doesn't bsh him into submission as is the old school feminist mantra. I know what that's about, my ex-wife tried to do it to me.
Another thing they have against her is her femininity. she has long woman hair, not a Hillary man-doo. She wears dresses and skirts, not pants. In short, she's the All American girl.
I don't like McCain, I think he's an a__. I'll vote for him, because an a____ is what we need in the White House these days. I've been against women in politics for a very long time. We've had psychos like Clinton, Boxer and Pelosi. With Gov. Palin, we have a woman in politics who's not afraid of being a woman. I like that. Couple that with the fact that she's a good- ole country girl, and her exemplary record, I think she'll make a fine V. P., and (God forbid) if anything were to happen to Sen. McCain, a fine President.
I'm looking forward to voting for her in 2012 for President.
Posted by: William | September 7, 2008 4:01 PM
