Real Men Don’t Cry While Washing Dishes
I was trying f*cking hard not to cry.
Standing at the sink, washing dishes in our tiny two bedroom Los Angeles apartment.
Trying to be strong for my family. Man up, ya know, don’t let the weakness show.
It was about 8 years ago.
I was home alone with my daughter who was a few months short of her second birthday.
The fires had been ravaging the Los Angeles hills and they had been burning up the inside of our family, and my business too.
I was beyond stressed.
And I was alone in the ways that perhaps only a man can feel.
And yeah, I was doing a fucking good job not to cry…
And then I heard her voice behind me…
“Daddy.”
She had been talking in full sentences for months. She’s a gifted child.
“Yes darling,” I replied, not turning, lest she see the true state of the weak man in front of her.
I still cannot fathom this…
“You got a lot of love in you Dad.”
I dropped the fucking cast iron frying pan back into the sink and soap suds flew. I turned around in disbelief…
“What did you just say?”
A toddler should not be able to talk like this.
“Yeah, a lot of love, Daddy.”
She repeated herself and she was looking at me, dead in the eye.
I melted instantly. Could not put those tears back into my eyes.
So I genuinely thanked her and quickly returned to washing dishes.
But inside, I was transformed.
I was seen.
I was truly known.
And I was loved.
And in many ways I became a dish that would never need to be washed again.
That’s the power of love.
To truly see people underneath their circumstances.
To dive down to their true nature.
So many people in our world need to hear words like this right now.
Imagine.
If just a few of us were as brave as my daughter?
If we built businesses and brands that were based on forging connections that transformed lives.
Every conversation counts.
Reply or comment “Convo” if you are ready to be brave and I will tell you about the thing I am building.
