💙 Gratitude for Good Men, Great Hearts #InternationalMen’sDay

The Gentle Strength of Good Men

I am surrounded by good men, men with great hearts, steady spirits, and quiet humor. Men who listen, protect, encourage, and love in ways that are both simple and profound. Their love fills me with gratitude.

My darling husband, Jim, whom I’ve known since I was fourteen and have been married to for thirty-two years, has shown me what partnership really means. His love has softened my edges, deepened my understanding, and helped me grow into a kinder, calmer version of myself.

With him, I’ve learned that true strength doesn’t need to dominate, it simply stands beside you, hand extended, saying, “I’ve got you.”

Lessons from My BrothersI grew up with two big brothers, very big brothers, both over six-foot-four, and they shaped so much of who I am. They were my first teachers in courage and competition.

To keep up with them, I had to be brave, clever, and quick, qualities that later helped me thrive in business, in athletics, and in life. They taught me to take a hit and get back up. They taught me to think strategically, to laugh when I fell, and to keep my head high in a world that sometimes underestimated women.

In the backyard, they taught me basketball. On the court, they taught me grit. And from those games, full of elbows and laughter, came a scholarship that opened doors and a sense of confidence that carried me through decades of boardrooms.

Growing up with brothers gave me a head start in understanding men, their rhythms, their quiet ways of caring, their puzzling mystery and their steadfast goodness.

The Steady Love of a FatherMy father, too, was one of the good ones. A World War II veteran who bore his pain silently but lived with integrity, humor, and deep respect for others. He taught me business by example, to follow through, to keep my word, to do the job right.

He showed me how to be self-reliant, but he also showed me the strength in tenderness. His handshake was firm, but his heart was gentle. Even now, when I make a tough decision or complete a project with care, I feel him nodding somewhere in approval.

A New Generation of Good MenNow I see that same strength in my son-in-law, Lance. He takes such loving care of our Ali and little Sami. He is thoughtful, present, and patient, the kind of man who leads with kindness and humor. I admire his work ethic, his creativity, and his deep sense of responsibility to the people he loves.

Watching him with his family fills me with quiet joy. It’s as if the legacy of good men continues, the same protective, generous spirit passed from generation to generation, reshaped by love but rooted in the same timeless values.

The Many Faces of Masculine GraceMen, I’ve come to see, are a world of paradox, strong and tender, practical and poetic, simple and yet endlessly complex. I am often puzzled by them, yes, but I am also in awe of their capacity for loyalty, humor, and perseverance.

The good men I’ve known show their love not in speeches but in actions: fixing things, carrying heavy loads, solving problems, and showing up when it counts. Their love is sometimes quiet, but it’s constant, a steady current beneath life’s surface.

Gratitude in Every DirectionToday, on International Men’s Day, I give thanks for all the good men, the fathers, brothers, husbands, sons, and friends, who make life richer with their presence.

Thank you for your steadiness in a world that wobbles. Thank you for your courage in a world that wounds. Thank you for your humor, your hugs, your hard work, and your hearts.

You remind me every day that strength and kindness belong together, that the truest power is gentle, and the greatest men are those who love well.