08/12/2026
Things I’ve Learned to Accept and Love About Myself
Some people might call them complexities. I call them the different sides of who I am.
When I was much younger, an ex once told me, “You are the most masculine, manly man, but also the most feminine man I’ve ever met.” It took me a while to understand exactly what she meant.
On one end, I’m rugged, no-nonsense, confident, cool, and sometimes confrontational. I love being a man. I love the responsibility, the strength, the challenges, and the feeling of fulfillment that comes from embracing that role.
But on the other end, I love fashion. I love romantic movies, art, reading about all kinds of things, and deep conversations. Sometimes I’d honestly rather kiss than have s*x. The Notebook still makes me cry, and I still watch Hitch and Love Jones at least twice a year. 😂
I grew up surrounded by two very different but equally powerful influences.
My grandfather was the definition of a traditional masculine man a man’s man. He had me working, chopping wood, riding tractors, doing roofing, fixing things, and learning how to handle responsibility.
My grandmother, on the other hand, was traditionally feminine, a true girls’ girl. I spent time around the women at her fashion boutique. We watched soap operas together. She introduced me to a completely different world, and because I loved both of them so deeply, I never felt the need to choose between the two influences. Somehow, they found balance in me.
I’ve learned to embrace both sides of myself.
When I say I LOVE being a man, I mean it. I love the strength, the responsibility, the leadership, the toughness, and everything that comes with it. I feel most fulfilled when I embrace those things.
But I also love the softer, more artistic, romantic, and emotionally expressive parts of me. They don’t make me less of a man. If anything, they make me a more balanced one.
There’s a beautiful description of Jesus in the Bible that has always fascinated me: the Lion and the Lamb.
Powerful, yet gentle. Strong, yet compassionate. Courageous, yet tender.
