A reader writes:
As a woman who is the mother of 2 grown kids, I know what emotions can be involved. Palin was 43 or 44 when she had Trig. Her children were almost grown up and she was going places in her career. She gets pregnant and doesn't want to be. Guilt.
Guilt and denial do things. She was obviously in denial for a long time, maybe she, and I stress maybe, she toyed with the thought of aborting or hoped to miscarry. That alone would make the guilt unbearable for her being a religious far right person. Women who go into denial over pregnancy have been known to even diet to keep from showing for as long as possible. Older women are no different from teenagers in some respects. The emotions are the same. And Palin is somewhat immature anyway. The mind does strange things when traumatized and this can be with an unwanted pregnancy.
She is enjoying her freedom as she is less tied now to small children and beginning a new life in her career and verging on the national scene and coming into her own. Being in your 40s is a great time for women who are seeing their careers blossom and their children no longer in so much need and getting older. I am no fan of Palin's. I think she is an idiot. Have since the beginning. But, as a woman, I can see why she may have behaved so strange. I did notice during the campaign that she seemed to not want to be saddled with the baby and had other hold him alot more. She is still in denial somewhat.