Girls today are told that they can do anything, be anyone. They’ve absorbed the message: They’re outperforming boys in school at every level. But it isn’t just about performance. To be a girl today is to be the beneficiary of decades of conversation about the complexities of womanhood, its many forms and expressions.

Boys, though, have been left behind. No commensurate movement has emerged to help them navigate toward a full expression of their gender. You’re not a man until you reach adulthood… but it’s not enough to “be a man” anymore – we don’t even know what that means anymore.

Growing up can be a pain… Poor kid just learned the hardest part about being a man.

A real man does not want people to feel sorry for him, but instead tries his best to set an example. It is a lonely and difficult road, but you must hold your head up high for your family so that they see the strength when they look at you to help them through their difficult roads.

Men are simple, there are only two things that he needs. A place he can express his pain without judgement, whether that’s crying, silent sobs, or literally just nothing at all. The second thing is probably different from one man to another, this just to not only be heard, but be listened to.

However, it is important for a man to check in with himself every once in a while and ask for help; there’s no shame in it.