By Katie Compton Boyd
His math grades aren’t perfect. His handwriting can be sloppy and rushed at best. He’s outgrowing pants and shoes in record time. I have to remind him to brush his teeth well and use deodorant. He has a temper and sometimes frustrated. His feet stink! His table manners leave much to be desired, but…
He opens the doors for ladies. He picks flowers almost daily for his mama. He loves outdoors and respects nature. He’s an endless source of information. He is handy with tools and apt to help. He’s well spoken and can have deep, meaningful conversations most adults aren’t capable of. He has a great curiosity of how things work around him. He’d rather be lost in the woods, on a trail than lost in some video game. He can whittle and carries a hiking stick ‘just in case’. He’s the boy who has a pocketknife on him at all times (except school of course).
He’s a boy who’s kind and empathetic; doesn’t pick on others not like him and not bothered by strong willed, capable girls his age, or any age. He’s the kind of child who asks “How was your day at work?”.
He has large strong hands yet graceful and more capable each day. When adults speak to him, he knows how to make eye contact and not intimidated. He speaks with a degree of respectfulness yet with confidence beyond his years.
The ‘woke’ culture gobbles up children who know true tolerance.
He wants to look sharp and takes great care each morning on his hair, or just wears a cap. He showers animals with love, affection and care. He’s happier outside than inside.
In a world where kids have YouTube channels and expert on the latest gaming devices, or those kids who can bury themselves in books and straight A’s he is not. That’s not his world. He’s not a bookish boy who can burrow away in fantasy; I wish he were at times. Fiction is not what he’s about. He wants to live it. He’s not incredibly athletic though, no golden trophies sit in his room. His victories are in rocks, snake skins, sticks he’s carved, a proud tackle box, a fox skin hat and small little items he’s discovered, most pay little attention to. However, he does.
He pays very close attention and the nuances of the adult world are not lost on him. He despises lies. Most of all, he really loves his mama. And his mama’s cooking too!
Boys like this shouldn’t be in short supply but they are. They will be tomorrow’s men: future partners, husbands, fathers, contributors to society.
Boys like he are precious and an endangered species choked out by standardized tests, common core, the rights of course work and material at school, a one size fits all. The daily onslaught of children dressed in “who runs the world, girls” t shirts, in sparkles and a never ending vivid pink parade of girl power.
The virtues he knows are those that you needn’t wear a shirt to advertise, and you needn’t put yourself above others to accommodate the past misgivings. Respect is earned, acceptance is a given.
The ‘woke’ culture gobbles up children who know true tolerance. Not the sort of tolerance where one agrees or is in line with your way of thought. True acceptance. He also despised hypocrisy and spots it as easily as he can a breed of wild animal. Boys like he are few and far between, but they do exist.
So does my son. He exists in this world. While dads make jokes about polishing their shotguns over their little pink glitter princesses one must wonder, about such male treasures. It will take much more than a shotgun I can assure you.
As the world changes, as it does, as it’s always done, as we recognize others, let us not beget those men out there. Let us not just raise good sons; let us protect them as the treasures they are. Those treasures might not be so glittery or sparky. They are strong, study treasures all the same. They are treasures.
