…my son about his day, and we talked for half an hour, and he was opening up to me ever so slightly. After talking and laughing a while, he said he was tired, and he rolled over for a hug. We hugged for a while, and he told me he loved me, and he rolled back over. I put my arm around him and held him close until he fell asleep. After all these years, I finally understood what it was like to connect with my son. All the fear and male bravado had fallen away from our relationship. Once again, I was sobbing, there in his bed, with my son fast asleep in my arms. I had made a connection with my son for the first time. I now understood why this ritual was so important to my wife.
