I've known a few men I'd call "A Man's Man". My father, and a good friend I call "coach" are a couple I love dearly. Let me introduce you to my friend's father. I've only known him for a few months and actually have only been around him five or six times. He's a reserved, dignified and obviously disciplined retired coach. Still in shape and strong. He's raised a fine family, invested in their spiritual well-being, and undoubtedly has invested in the lives of hundreds of young students and ball players. I guess I could go on but let me get to the point. My friend's father does something that has caused me to reflect. He does it every time we meet. Without exception and without change. It's the moment we shake hands. In that moment. He stops. No matter what's going on around us, no matter that he has much on his mind, no matter that he really doesn't know me well or that knowing me has any bearing on his life. He stops. In the middle of a firm long hand shake he looks deep into your eyes and connects with you. As if to say... "You matter." There are always sincere well-thought-out words spoken during the hand shake but the connection is much deeper than that.
I imagine the hundreds of young ball players, fellow church members, even complete strangers that have been on the receiving end of this hand shake and wonder if they notice. Do they see and appreciate the character behind this hand shake? Then I think, is my hand shake anything like this? Unfortunately ,I fear that many times the receiver of my hand shake sees someone in a hurry to get somewhere else. Someone more concerned with what the world holds for him next. Not so concerned with the person behind the hand he holds. I hope not and I'm going to make an effort to defend against it. There are some things that shouldn't be lost from this generation. This is one of them. I want my boys to be men's men. I want to be a man's man. Thanks to the real men out there who are passing along what a real man should be.
I should mention that my friend's mother just passed this life to be with God. Unfortunately, I never got to shake her hand but I suspect.... there was a lot of character behind the hand shake of my friend's mother as well. Some day I will look her up, shake her hand and thank her for being a great mother, grandmother and the life-long mate of a man's man. Life-long mate... that will have to be the subject of another man's man post.
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