Thank You Dad for Showing Me That It’s Okay for Men to Cry

I’d like to start by saying, without any exaggeration, that my dad is one of the strongest men I’ve ever known. He has suffered losses and setbacks - both financial and personal - and yet never really let them affect him. He’s quite the resilient kind, which is why what happened that day took all of us by surprise and it still remains an unforgettable memory.

I clearly remember the day. It was 23 July 2010. It was like any other day until my dad returned home from work around 8 pm as he usually did. I was watching TV and my mum was busy in some household chores when the doorbell rang.

I opened the door. Dad entered, kept his bag and sat on the sofa like he always did. But then there was something odd about his behaviour. It was as if he had bottled up something inside him and wanted to let it all out. By the time we could ask him anything, tears started rolling down his eyes.

He was trying to stifle his emotions but was unsuccessful.

In some time, he collected himself and told us that the company he had been employed with for 20 years was facing a financial crisis, as a result of which it was going to shut down in a month’s time. The prospect of being unemployed was so scary and the blow was so sudden that he couldn’t hold back his tears. Besides, for him, it was like a beautiful relationship that abruptly ended. There was so much he had given to the organisation, and vice versa, and now everything was suddenly coming to a close. No wonder, dad couldn’t take it.

Nobody asked him anything. We just let him be and express his emotions freely. I have to admit though that I was stunned and shocked to see my hero cry. But today when I look back at what happened that day, I’m really glad that dad didn’t shy away from crying or holding back his emotions.

Yes, my father was #ManEnough to cry. In doing so, he ended up teaching the 16-year-old me a very important life lesson - that it’s perfectly okay for men to display their emotions the way they want to.

Tears are a sign of strength. There’s nothing weak about crying.

Couple of years later when I failed to get the desired percentile in CAT despite putting in my best efforts, I remember crying about it to my friends. I didn’t hold back my tears, which I guess I otherwise would have had I not seen my dad crying. That’s what had changed on the night of 23 July 2010.

One year later, it was my second attempt at CAT and yes, I cleared it. It was those tears that had made me stronger and gave me the will to give it another shot.

Ever so often, we unknowingly end up telling kids ‘Boys don’t cry’ without even realising that somewhere it gets imprinted in their minds. It conditions them to hold back their emotions and they are unable to cry openly, but now, it’s high time we change this.

This emotion has been beautifully captured in this video by Gillette that tells you the inspiring life story of Lt Col M K Sinha SM (Retd) and his father. Before we tell you more, watch this video.

We’re sure you too have goosebumps by now, and understandably so. For long, one of the enduring stereotypes associated with ‘manliness’ is that crying is a sign of weakness. But fact is that it takes real strength to show vulnerability and emotions. Gillette believes that to express your pain through tears, you need to be #ManEnough.