Tuesday, May 10, 2011

A Letter to a Son

There was this great piece in Newsweek by Dan Mulhern, husband to former Michigan governor Jennifer Granholm, written in the form of a letter to his 13-year-old son about modern manhood. One of my favorite parts of this essay was when he wrote:

"A strong man, Jack, is not threatened by others’ greatness. He’s comfortable with his own.
I have loved raising you and your college-age sisters. It’s been a gift. I stepped out of my male armor. I now cry when I’m sad, afraid, or just overwhelmed by the beauty of a sonata or a newborn baby. I don’t feel less of a man. I do feel more of a human being."

This reminds me of the great ideas Emily put up a while back from Elder and Sister Holland about how much stronger families can be when men are more involved. I know that in my family, my husband is absolutely essential to raising our children and I love that Mulhern suggests that the act of stepping out of his "male armor" (made possible by fully engaging in child-rearing?) made it possible for him to feel like more of a fulfilled human being.

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