show us how you really feel

This is a blog about my deep appreciation for male displays of affection and emotion, and it all starts here:

My talented friend Amy took this photo of our friends Ryan Cork (sound engineer extraordinaire, dedicated husband to Claire) and Noffy (lead singer of The Sailor Sequence, dedicated boyfriend to Lisa). When I first saw this picture, I was simultaneously chatting with Cari, who was telling me about a scene she saw on a reality show (read: the Bachelorette) where a father called his son "my love".
"That's the sweetest thing in the world", Cari said, "I love confident men."
I could not agree more.

I hate the social pressure imposed on guys to not be able to show emotion about as much as I hate the social pressure imposed on girls to be as thin as possible. Those two characteristics are simply not the essence of masculinity and femininity: girls have curves, and boys have feelings.

I grew up with a father whose heart is so soft toward the Lord that he can barely pray to bless the meal without crying, and he DEFINITELY can't pronounce his love for me or anyone else in my family without coming close to real weeping. Do you have any idea how deeply that affirmed me and my other family relationships growing up? I love it! There's nothing wrong with it!

So to any guys reading this, for whatever it's worth: show us how you really feel. It's fine.