The truth is, all men just want to be loved.
It must have started with our ancestors — alone on the plains, reaching out from their groups, hunting in solitude or in the company of other men. They were driven by purpose — a cause greater than themselves — the care and love of the ones they sought to support.
Even then, it wasn’t just about survival. It was about meaning. The hunt wasn’t for glory; it was for belonging. Every cut, bruise, and scar was proof of love offered, not dominance claimed.
And upon their return, the men wished for one thing — the love and gratitude for what they had done.
It’s no wonder men struggle today. With emotions. With words. Even with themselves.
They struggle with their roles in society — what it means to be a man, what it means to give, and whether love is something they have to earn or something they’re allowed to receive.
Show me a hard, unloving man, and I’ll show you a man who never felt appreciated — whether he was or not.
It’s the feeling he craves more than anything. He doesn’t need a car, or fancy clothes, or any goddamn trinket you could possibly buy him.
He just wants a thank you. Some kind eyes. To feel desired.
That’s it. A happy man.
I kiss my son and say, “I love you. I’m proud of you. Now go be something.”
I do this daily, even though he’s a teenager — and you know what? He doesn’t mind. At least not as much as he lets on.
I do this because a boy — a man — needs to know unconditional love. The world will put conditions on him soon enough.
But to feel love… to know he’s loved — that man will move through the world differently.
That man will change it.