Hey, readers. So yesterday I had the most amazing time witnessing, and experiencing, almost, the role of a mom for her sons. I was playing in the pool with some of the kids I work with, and it so happened that I was the only girl in that area of the pool; there was the main guy counselor and then probably 6 elementary-school-aged boys. Two of the boys are 6, and I adore them.
They were swimming with me earlier, but when the guy counselor got in the pool, all the boys went and tackled him.
Their love and desire for adventure and "male bonding time", but the two younger ones were a little intimidated by all the big-boy wrestling; we were in a swimming pool, after all. So the little boys would go fight their dragon, so to speak, and then come back to me for a rest and breath. I got to tell them how exciting it was that they were going and attacking the counselor, and by doing so, I was fueling their desire for more. So they went back again! And then they came back to me for a little comfort.
This was the sweetest moment: realizing that I will do this with my sons and husband. I will tell my sons to go "attack" their daddy, and they will come back to me when they're scared, and I will get to tell them that they really can tackle Daddy, and they will conquer their fears, and if they get hurt, I'll be here for them.
I read John Eldredge's book Wild at Heart and have thought about the manly desire for conquest ever since. Because I have a mom's heart, I have to remind myself to let boys be boys, even if it means they get rough. Boys can't be expected to sit still for very long, and that's not a bad thing. I hate that society has emasculated men and boys. REAL men is what our culture is looking for, even as they attempt to force boys into girls' molds.
I encourage you to read Wild at Heart if you haven't already. Or if you have, reread it...we all need reminders about the heart of a man.
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