What is a "man"?

I don't have any new pictures to post, but I do have a story. It's kind of a soapbox story, so bear with me! As Micah becomes more conversational, he says some pretty funny things. Anyone who's spent time with us knows that his favorite story from the Bible is Samson, y'know, the strong guy with the long hair who gets tricked by his "friend," Delilah into giving away the secret of his strength. So this morning I was trying to get him to take his allergy meds and I told him he needed to take it to grow big and strong (well, it will keep him from getting colds and ear infections, so I count that!) "Like Daddy?"
Yup.
"Not like Momma!"
No, you won't grow up to be a woman like Momma, you will be a man like Daddy.
"A man?"
Yes, grown up boys are called "men" and Daddy is a man. Grown up girls are called "women" and Mommy is a woman.
"And Papa is a man?"
Yup. And who else is a woman? Ms. Tina, right? And Ms. Afton. And Ms. AJ. (his teachers at school).
"Yeah, and 'Lila." (sneaky smile here)
Yes, Delilah was a woman. (By way of explaination: in the video we have depicting this story it specifically uses the words, "Woman who was Samson's friend," so I think this is where he got that whole 'Lila is a woman' thing. They kinda skirt that whole, "girlfriend" thing.)
And Samson was a man, right?
"Yeah"

Hmmm. I hope he doesn't equate the word "woman" with "sneaky" and "whiny" (both adjectives used to describe Delilah in this version of the story--well!). I think I need to start reading to him about the more empowered and godly Biblical women--Deborah, who led the troops into battle or Tabitha and her work with the poor or Mary, mother of Jesus. Yikes. I thought I was doing that, but it's amazing what sinks into that little head. We talk a lot about how men and women can both take on roles like police officers, caregivers, soldiers,  teachers and business workers and I tend to skip over those outdated parts of favorite stories that imply otherwise (Richard Scarry, I'm looking at you!). I want my son to view women as strong partners in life, not "lesser" beings.

And I'm always on the lookout for media that shows that little boys can grow up to be big and strong and also tender and loving at the same time and that all of those things are desirable. One of our favorite books to read is My Daddy and Me, a gift from Great Grampy George and Aunt Janice! It shows a Daddy coming home from work, greeting his son and then playing all sorts of games with him--from horsing around, to pretend play, to baking cookies, to singing him to sleep. I love it because of the wholistic picture it paints.

At the end of the day, I want my sons to model his life after Jesus, a leader who overturned the moneychangers' tables in the temple, but also a man who said, "Let the little children come to me" and who recognized the importance of the roles women and men played in his life and ministry. And I have two of these little boys to influence. God, give me gudience for this amazing responsibility.