Hi, Gamine:

Just in case you check back in.

A couple of years ago I retired after being the director of a large Museum for 30 years. I had built a wonderful staff... creative, hard-working, loyal,dedicated people. Over the years, I came to know many of their families, and suffered along with them when they had a death or divorce or a serious illness. The Museum held a retirement celebration for me and after all the kind words were said, I was called up to talk. When I began to talk about what a wonderful staff I was leaving, and what good people they were, I started to choke up and couldn't talk. I just paced on the stage, with tears running down my face. Finally, all I could blurt out was "Real Men Cry." It brought everyone to their feet for a standing ovation, and many others were crying ... women, and some men, too.

My Mother taught me to love, and with love can come all the other emotions: joy, exhilaration, regrets, sorrow, even grief. As the bible said, even before Pete Seeger, there is a time to cry. It didn't say nothin' about women only...:-)

Jerry