Tracey's little cousin meets McCain/Palin – UPDATED

Waiting for McCain/Palin

This is a nice companion to the Michael Gerson piece I had linked to here and tagged at 2:40 PM. It’s Tracey at Pale Page, offering an account – with pictures – of one of her cousins making it to a McCain/Palin rally with her four-year old daughter, who has Down Syndrome. It’s lovely and touching and you’ll want to read it all, but here is an excerpt:

As the rally was breaking up, John McCain made his way to their area. My cousin said he approached, greeted them, patted A’s head, but then, with the crush of people, was quickly swept away. Cousin was hoping to get a picture with him, but there he went, so they just focused on waiting for Sarah. Moments later, though, McCain made his way back through that sea of people to my cousin, my aunt, and little A. Here’s what my cousin said about that:

I have to say that my Mom and I were both impressed with him so much. You would have to experience it…he was so kind, humble, gentle, and compassionate. When he spoke to us he looked right in our eyes. He thanked us with such gratitude and told us that Sarah really wanted to see us. He posed for a picture and then he was gone.

Then Sarah Palin made her way to them:

Photo by Roger Baumgarten

I can’t give you the conversation by word, but she said, “Awwww” and kind of melted when she saw A. She asked her name and age. Then she hugged her. She actually got watery eyes…she is still new to the world of DS. She said she was so glad we brought A to see her. She just kept smiling and looking at A…I told her that I have such admiration for her because when A was Trig’s age, I was still crying …

I have to tell you, reading this, seeing the pics and relating it all to what Gerson wrote earlier, I was moved, and a little goosebumply – like maybe there is more going on here than meets the eye – angels in whirlwinds, things seen and unseen, if you know what I mean.

Do go read Tracey’s whole post it’s a heartwarmer.

The whole story sort of puts an entirely different spin on these buttons, doesn’t it?

Buttons & Bumperstickers by Shana

Meanwhile, a South Caroline Dem shows she does not get it. But if you’d rather not go there – if you’d like to linger in a positive moment, here is another great story, another great story, totally non-political!

UPDATE: From the post below and tagged at 7:44 – suddenly a flurry of stories about people with Down Syndrome, although that is not central to this story: Father Dies Saving Son’s Life. That the 20 year old son has Down Syndrome is really only incidental to this gut-wrenching story. But you might say this son’s parents had saved his life, twice. Thomas S. Vander Woude, is apparently well known in Catholic circles around DC. His son, Joseph, whose life he saved, is in hospital with double pneumonia and does not yet know his father has died. Very sad, indeed.