My husband and I have three sons who we're raising to be real men. We have a traditional (some might say “old-fashioned”) division of labor, but I couldn't be more proud and fulfilled to be my husband's wife and my kid's mom. It's tradition in our home for our kids to make homemade birthday cards rather than buying messages written by someone else. My husband had a birthday a couple of days ago, and this is what our 17 year-old son had to say:

Dear Dad,

As I've gotten older, I'm realizing more and more how lucky this family is to have you. You rarely complain about things...you just do the work. You've shown me and my brothers what hard work is and how to support a family. You've inspired me greatly to do great things and to make sure that someday my kids look up to me as much as I do you.

Happy birthday, Big Guy. You're the man! I love you!

Laura