measure of a man

Yesterday I stumbled upon a manuscript that was given to my husband by a co-worker on his birthday last year. It's really funny and insightful so I thought I'd share it and add a few points of my own. After working with my husband for a few months, this woman had a good understanding of his psyche and summed it up, entitling her list:

"Real Men 101: As Articulated to me by ways of JDD and other Real Men from Texas."

Real Men Don'ts

Real men don't take cream in their coffee.
Real men don't ask for directions.
Real men don't drink from straws.
Real men don't eat yogurt.
Real men don't put A1, Worcestershire or any other sauce on their steak.
Real men don't drink tea or any other beverage from a tea cup.
Real men don't wax anything (except their vehicles).
Real men don't split the lunch or dinner bill, they insist on paying the whole thing.
Real men don't wear sandals.
Real men don't shop for hours.
Real men are only touchy-feely with their mates (never with people at church).

And the Real Men Do's:

Real men do cry (if they feel the need).
Real men help the helpless.
Real men fight for what is right.
Real men move furniture.
Real men open doors.

And last but most important...

Real men believe in integrity, honesty and of course, love.



She really nailed it but there are some more I'd like to add:

Real men cook.
Real men help with the kids.
Real men are great lovers.
Real men tell the truth.
Real men respect and honor the women in their life.
Real men are faithful.
Real men fight evil even when they are afraid.
Real men don't whine.


I'm so happy to be married to a real man. To me he's the person I look forward to spending time with every day and for the rest of my life. For our sons, he's a solid, healthy example for them to aspire to be like.

It's not easy for men these days, seeing as they are one of the only groups left that's okay to bash publicly without any backlash (along with Christians and Republicans). As the mother of three future men, I hate how men are made fun of and mocked on commercials and sitcoms. Seriously, the next time you see someone portrayed as ignorant, clueless or just plain stupid on tv, I'll bet you it's a white male. They would never get away with treating women or minorities the same way. It is blatant sexism against men and an attempt to marginalize the importance of fathers. I don't want those messages seeping into my boys' subconsciouses and shaping how they feel about themselves. Women shouldn't have to tear men down to build themselves up.

As a mom I couldn't do this alone and maintain my sanity. Because my husband is a real man (all joking aside) our boys are thriving, happy and secure. They know that he loves me and would do anything for any of us. They watch closely how he treats me and I know that will influence them to grow up and be loving, generous husbands and fathers.

Just the other day my five year-old son said, "Mom, I know you love me and all that, but I think I like Dad better." He seemed distraught, like he thought I was going to cry or something. I said, "That's wonderful! You have so much in common with him and I know you love me, too." He seemed relieved and went traipsing off to do boy things.



Hooray for real men and little boys! Let's give them a lot more credit. They deserve it.