Rick Santorum’s daughter Bella in the hospital again

Some news just snaps all other news into perspective. The Santorum campaign sent out a statement today requesting prayers and privacy for their family, as their youngest daughter, Bella, is in the hospital.

Rick Santorum had already announced a brief hiatus in campaigning. This is the second time this year that Bella, who suffers from a chromosomal condition called Trisomy 18, has had to be hospitalized. In January, she had pneumonia in both of her lungs and spent several days in the ICU.

Bella’s struggle makes me want to just press “Pause.” On a daily basis, we work and play, eat and sleep. It’s usually not until someone is sick that we ponder the precariousness of our lives. It’s worth considering on a regular basis, though. The knowledge that life is short for everyone and thereby especially precious is no excuse to not run for president, build a house, write a book, buy a car, start a company. It should, rather, be an added incentive to embrace life in all its fullness and pursue whatever goals we have with boldness.

But it should also remind us that, if we want to gracefully withstand the daily pressures of life, we have to root ourselves in something transcendent. All political problems and all political solutions are temporal. As T.S. Eliot put, “There is no such thing as a lost cause because there is no such thing as a gained cause. We fight because we know that our defeat and dismay may be the preface to our successors’ victory.”

Rick Santorum’s campaign has illustrated such rootedness. He’s not been discouraged by temporary setbacks because he knows life is about so much more than politics. No doubt Bella reminds him of that daily. Today, she serves as that reminder for me, too.

My thoughts and prayers are with the Santorums this Good Friday. May the weekend bring hopeful developments for little Bella.

He has a twenty year old daughter. Except for the youngest 2 his kids aren’t that young. Besides, men with young children go to work— hard, dangerous work everyday. I don’t care for Santorum. He blew it in his own state and never should’ve run but being potent and having offspring is no reason not to run for president.

I have kids, 24 and 20. Believe me, at 20 and 24, they need you every bit as much. This is the time his boys are forming their values and beliefs. I’m assuming the kids are thinking about college, and other pursuits.

I know the wife is no doubt a dynamo and takes care of things, but still, Rick is young and has a LONG time ahead of him to run again at a better time. This youngest one — these might be the only years they have with her.

Some may say, “what does it matter, Romney can’t win”. I say, by God it does matter. America’s survival may count on closing the door on Obama’s radicals in November. If it’s impossible then we MUST do the impossible. American history is full of impossible obstacles. I’m going to be a part of this one.

Well stated. Sometimes it is the lesser of the 2 evils. As big a "moderate" as Mitt is, does anyone believe he'd surround himself with Van Jones, Cass Sunstein, Geroge Soros, Kevin Jennings (NAMBLA supporter) or Bill Ayers? I hate to say it but unfortunately Mitt isn't a RINO, he IS a true republican. We've been spoiled by great men , first Goldwater than Reagan. They were the anomaly and there aren't any like them in the immediate future. So, for the present, stop waiting for them to ride in at 11:59 and save us. Ain't happening.

Right now we are facing a clear and present danger. If Baraq gets another 4 years I'm convinced the country is done. The most conservative congress won't help because

A) We won't get a conservative congress.
B) Mugabe will just issue fatwas (executive orders) around it.

Look what he did with the moratorium on drilling. Court struck it down ......still no new permits. All this when he still had to face the voters. His conversation with Medvidev (sp?) gave us a glimpse into his second term. Do we really want to scold the GOP that bad? Do we really want another Sotomayor or Kagan on the bench. Maybe this time it will be Van Jones or Holder.

Much as I don't trust Mitt, we have a shot with him. The alternative offers no hope.

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.