An essential job of the father is to be available so that his son can brag to him. One of the high and sacred roles of the father is to listen attentively over and over again as his son brags. A man cannot brag appropriately to anyone else. But a father is the grand exception. Every boy should be able to brag to his dad and feel a growing admiration. A man may brag to his wife but he must be subtle about it. To a father, the bragging can be blatant. A father is a place for a son to be reinforced. Indeed the father may be the only means by which a boy can be legitimately certified as a man.
