What would it mean to rethink our definition of masculinity? — by Jonathan P. Higgins I can recall the first time that I asked the question, “What does it mean to be a man?” to a group of young men I was doing healing work with. …

Going through hardships gives us strength in the places we’d never thought to develop, spaces we didn’t know we’d occupy, room to reach beyond ourselves, toward others who are where we had been. — by Kao Kalia Yang, On Being columnist One day my brother said his face felt heavy. His left eye started to water. He wiped away the liquid. He massaged his face. He went fishing with our cousins. When he got home, it was late. The sky was dark. The house…

The food of our old family traditions can take on new dimensions, as we return to the recipes — and the memories they carry. — by Carolina Hinojosa-Cisneros “If you really want to make a friend, go to someone’s house and eat with him…the people who give you their food give you their heart.” ~César Chávez I am a theological nomad by heart. Although I call the non-denominational church my home, I know I can…

A conversation among a group of fathers marks a ceremonial transition, as one era of fatherhood ends and another begins. — by Ben Katt My friend’s appointment was the next morning. He was ready for the most part, but wanted to have one more conversation before the procedure. So on a dark December night at a local coffee shop after hours, he convened a group of close friends to help him…

“My journey as a big sister has taught me more about life’s possibilities and the different pathways that people can take into the road of tomorrow than any other thing I’ve been part of.” — by Kao Kalia Yang, On Being columnist In the home that I grew up in, I was expected to take care of the younger ones. I was born the second oldest in a family of seven children. For nearly the first decade of my life, because my mother had many…

The path to untangling the loneliness and isolation that many men experience may be complicated, but there is one simple step men can take today: Take a walk with a friend. — by Jeffrey Bissoy My senior year in high school, my friend Mariano and I made a habit of walking around St. Paul, Minnesota every Friday evening. It was an odd activity, and our homeboys would often make fun of us for it, but those walks were surreal — they were…

“Generational storytelling is a history book. It’s a catalogue of all the places we have been. It is a book entrusted to its people to ensure they are not forgotten.” — by Carolina Hinojosa-Cisneros “Write what should not be forgotten.” ~Isabel Allende The first time my grandfather shared with me the story of La Llorona, I was a four-year-old girl with pigtails, tucked under his large right arm. He wore a white T-shirt and perfectly pressed blue jeans. The seam on…

On wandering back into questions and mystery. — by David Baker I was raised Jewish. This used to be my response whenever I was asked what my religion was. Not that the subject came up very often. I didn’t belong to a temple, and volunteering at the annual rummage sale of a local church was the extent to…

How do our duties as citizens map onto our duties as parents? — by Courtney E. Martin, On Being columnist Everyone wants the best for their kids. It’s an idea that almost no one — black, brown, or white, rich, poor, or something in between — would take issue with. …