I Can Be Soft and Strong at the Same Time

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For a long time, I thought I had to choose.

Be soft, or be strong.
Be kind, or be firm.
Feel deeply, or stay protected.

But life has shown me that real strength includes softness.

I can be both.

I can feel everything — and still stay grounded.
I can cry — and still show up for what matters.
I can care deeply — and still set boundaries that protect my peace.

Being a man doesn’t mean hardening.
It doesn’t mean hiding.
It doesn’t mean silencing the parts of me that feel tender.

It means owning every part of who I am.
The fire and the calm.
The muscle and the heart.
The protector and the poet.

Softness is not weakness.

It’s what makes me trustworthy.
It’s what makes me human.

And I honour that more and more every day.