Finding Strength in Vulnerability
Thanks for the reminder,
@npub1ujm9...nemc
I’d like to share a bit about my path to becoming a man. It’s been a journey – one that took me 40 years and a wake-up call I didn’t see coming: my wife left me after 17 years of marriage and a 30-year friendship. That hit me hard, but it also opened the door to parts of myself I’d kept hidden – my vulnerability, my emotions, my fears.
Growing Up Without a Map:
I grew up in Berlin without a father or a healthy masculine role model. The ’80s and ’90s weren’t exactly a golden age for positive male figures. My friends and I – all of us raised by strong women – like ALL of my best friends!!! - saw men around us either absent or lost in their own ego trips, seemingly disconnected from their families. It was a time when, honestly, men seemed to have let a lot of people down.
Breaking Old Patterns:
It took me four decades to understand that it’s okay not to have all the answers. Just being with my problems – not running from them or trying to fix everything instantly – was a big shift. I realized that the journey to becoming a man doesn’t mean shutting down emotions; it means opening up to them.
Relearning Emotion:
After decades of holding back tears, now even the cheesiest Disney movie gets to me. I’ve learned that just being open to feel, without always needing to act on those feelings, is powerful. Most of the time, simply allowing emotions to exist is enough.
Redefining Masculinity:
Rewiring my inner framework took three years. For me, becoming a man has meant getting softer, staying grounded, and realizing that sometimes, the strongest thing I can do is to feel and express my emotions. No quick fixes, no avoidance – just presence.
That’s been my journey to manhood:
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