I grew up in the 60’s and 70’s with a strong distaste for many things that a boy was “supposed to like”. I have always been comfortable in my male skin, but, as a child, my male peers (and quite a few of my female peers) made a point of trying to make me feel uncomfortable. I just didn’t like, was not interested in, and was not good at the various sports and attitudes I was “supposed” to care about.
Fortunately, my parents and siblings were not troubled by any of this (at least they never expressed concern to me). They encouraged my interests and let me address the world on my own terms. They also made it clear that, as long as I became my own person, none of this would matter once I outgrew childhood.
For the most part, my parents were right. While I did absorb and have to deal with a lot of negative messages about myself from other kids growing up, I have been able to exorcise those over the years, and they have never defined who I am.
I am saying all of this to say there are many ways to be a boy and to be a man, and to commend the parents in this story on their ability to accept the child they have instead of trying to make him the child the world thinks he should be. There are going to be challenges as he grows up, but if he knows his family has his back and his parents can get across to him the power of his unique perspective, he will probably come out stronger and better than many of his peers who never had to deal with those challenges.
Here’s to C.J. May he grow happily into his strength, whatever form that takes.
