I Don't Know Who Needs to Hear This, But Men, You Matter

Yesterday, Representative Emanuel Cleaver (D-Mo.) ended a congressional prayer by saying 'Amen and awomen'. It was the most recent (and absurd) example of progressives' attempts at being gender-inclusive. Of course, 'awomen' isn't actually a thing. 'Amen', on the other hand, means 'So be it' in Hebrew. It has been used for centuries as the conclusion to prayer without any sort of controversy and thankfully, this act by Rep. Cleaver was widely recognized for the ridiculous stunt that it was.

But, this brings me to a more important issue. As a woman, I acknowledge that my gender hasn't always had an easy route to success. In many industries, we still have to fight harder than our male counterparts for the same degree of advancement. And, compared to men, we often disproportionately balance our career with parenting because we are naturally drawn to the nurturing involved in motherhood. I am, of course, speaking in generalities and not absolute truths, but the reality is that men and women are biologically different. As the mother of two boys and one girl, I see this play out in real time every day both in their activity choices and their reactions to adversity.

Yet, despite the unique gifts that men and women offer, there continues to be a dangerous movement afoot in our society. It is one that aims to strip men of the importance they bring to our culture as a whole and more importantly, it neglects the critical role they play in the family unit. Men are imperfect (just like women), but it can't be denied that many of the most influential historical accomplishments were achieved by strong men and our society is better for it. (In fact, just imagining the amount of bravery is took to do something like storm the beaches of Normandy is often unfathomable in today's age of keyboard warriors.)

Similarly, just as a mother's relationship with her children is unique, so is a father's. In our household, my husband's presence brings a sense of stability and reassurance to our family. When he actively engages with our kids, I can sense a joy in them that is rooted in growing self-esteem. When their father expresses pride in them, our kids become more comfortable in who they are without feeling the need to conform. I suspect that while other families might offer up different observations around the traits mom and dad bring to the table, most would acknowledge they are different yet complimentary and improve the family unit as a whole.

So what am I getting at? Well, I guess my point is this: Men, you matter. You matter to society, you matter to your significant others, and you matter to your children. You are important, you are relevant, and you have unique gifts that we should celebrate. We should not ignore the powerful influence of men while we regularly look for new ways to revere women. Fortunately, these two things are not mutually exclusive and they don't require a trade-off - I believe we can do one without detracting from the other. We can reasonably work towards gender-equality while understanding that inclusive doesn't equate to homogenous. As I said above, men and women are different and quite honestly, that is a good thing.

At the end of the day, my voice is louder than that of my children and my actions are far more impactful. While I don't hold a large platform and many people may not care what I have to say, I will nonetheless continue working towards a future where my sons and daughter know their worth and are valued equally.