Good Men

Rob with Jamie

Paul with Charlie and Sam

Nick with Mary Catherine

John and bubble blowers

   When I called my son Paul the other day, he was out fishing with his sons . He paused in our conversation to help Sammy bait a hook. "Good man, " I thought.  Meanwhile next door, Randy was bringing raspberries to his mother-in-law, and patiently driving his wife's grandmother home.  I thought again,"Good man. "  That afternoon I watched a crew of husbands work together to help break down  and dismantle the  rummage sale that the church ladies had toiled over for days.  Good men all, having a fine time supporting the women's project.

Les and Guin

Ernie and Jamie

    What makes a good man?  Polonius and Kipling tell us about personal qualities,  Jimmy Carter shows us about service, and thousands of successful men contribute to the remaking of the world toward peace and plenty.  I, however, find the goodness of men in the way they work with the women and children in their lives.

Jacob and Lucy

     At the beach, John and Paul ran the newspaper delivery crew, and Ernie took the kids out golfing.   Once, when Jacob was stirring and stirring his seafood risotto,  little Lucy held up her arms to him, "Hi, Daddy."  Jacob turned off the pot and went to play with Lucy.

Jeremy and Nora

     Does it take long years of refinement in the fire of family life to make a good man?  My friend Sheila thinks it's a matter of discrimination and  selection. You have to choose a good one.

John with his mother

David and Maxine

Good man in training

          Next weekend, Maxine will be here visiting.  Maxine is four, and she loves princesses and fairy tales.  We have princess sheets for her, and a Disney princess picture book complete with puzzles.   I have also found feminist fairy tale books.  In CinderEdna, for instance, Cinder Edna runs a cleaning business on the side, uses the proceeds to put her ball gown on layaway, and takes a bus to the ball wearing her loafers, which are more comfortable than glass slippers.   In Princess Smartypants, the heroine puts her suitors through a series of impossible challenges.  I want to be sure that Maxine knows:  You can tell who is a prince and who is not. Don't kiss that frog!