Emotions

Boys,

I joke at different times that your mom has turned me into a crybaby. There are nights now when a touching show on TV or even a small commercial or two bring about emotions that either had never existed, or at the very least had been suppressed for a lifetime. The joke goes that if you’re a man you only cry if your foot is caught in a bear trap. I want you to know that this joke, while funny, is not true.

A real man likes manly things. He is made to be rough in order to weather the elements and strong to do whatever necessary to provide for his family. It is natural for you to pick up a stick and make it a gun or a sword. Your hands were made to get dirty and the bumps, scars and bruises are memorials to remind you of adventures and days gone by.

At the same time, a real man knows when his heart is touched. The same hand that defends against attack becomes gentle when holding his child for the first time. The hand that gives direction or correction also fits perfectly around the softer hand of the woman he loves.

I used to believe that I had to hold back the tears. To be honest, it is still difficult to let them flow. However, now when my eyes fill up at a tragedy or touching story, I no longer fight to hold it all in. Show your strength mixed with compassion. Do not become cold to the cares and concerns of others around you. The powerful person is willing to fight for a cause greater than he, but you can only know those causes when your heart is tender enough to listen to the heart of God.

Be gentle. Be a warrior.

You are all three called to be gentle warriors.

Dad