TO EVOLVE INTO THE PERSON YOU WERE MEANT TO BE IS AN ACT OF SHEER AUDACITY!

We’ve inherited a version of manhood that’s narrow and brittle. One that defines masculinity by toughness, stoicism and dominance, not tenderness, honesty or self-awareness.

What happens when the only form of love you’ve been shown is transactional? What happens when softness is mocked and emotional needs are dismissed? You grow into a man who knows how to build a house but doesn’t know how to be at home within himself, or with someone else.

We live in a culture that teaches men to keep moving, to hustle past heartbreak, to bury regret, to pretend nothing touches them too deeply. But some things do touch deeply. And when you don’t have the language or space to unpack them, the only place that pain has to go is inward.

The truth is, caretakers need care too. Men, particularly those in roles that demand constant support for others, can become so accustomed to giving that they forget or feel guilty about seeking support themselves.

For many men, the constant pressure to perform often leads to an internal disconnect - a split between the identity they project to the world and the self they truly are. On the outside, they may appear confident, successful, and in control. But beneath the surface, the constant need to prove their worth creates a profound sense of emptiness.

Unlike Mother’s Day, which often brings widespread recognition of the challenges of infertility or loss, Father’s Day can be more subtle in its impact. Society often focuses on celebrating the “ideal” of fatherhood, the joy of fathering children, raising a family and passing down one’s legacy. But for men who cannot experience this, Father’s Day can be a reminder of what they feel they are missing.

Today, we pause to celebrate the multifaceted roles fathers play in our lives, in the rhythm of our daily existence and in the values they pass on to future generations.

Suppressing emotions doesn’t make them go away. Instead, they simmer beneath the surface, where they can fester and manifest as stress, anxiety, depression and even physical ailments.

The truth is: every man has the right to be soft. To hold and be held. To lead with love, not just logic. To cry without apology. To show up tenderly for himself and others.

What if you’re meant to be more than just a replica of the generation before you?