What It Means To Be A Man

"Well, Ryber?" Stan asked the boy who stood before him. The sun was rising, and a small crowd of villagers had gathered to watch the ceremony.  "What does it mean to be a man?"

The boy was shivering before him, wrapped in a tattered blanket with bloodshot eyes. But an inner peace radiated out of the boy like nothing Stan had every seen before.

"To be a man is to help the helpless, respect the boundaries of all people, and do the best you can." He smiled up at Stan, a little unsure of his answer. Stan nodded gravely and looked out to the crowd.

"Well, what say you?" He asked the villagers. They responded with a resounding shout of approval. Ryber's relief was visible. Stan clapped him on the shoulder.

"Welcome to manhood, Ryber. We are glad to have you."

Stan looked down at Freya, who also stood before him. She had a much thicker blanket, and a newborn suckling at her chest.

"And you, Freyja? What does it mean to be a woman?" He asked her with a gentle smile. She looked up at him. She, like Ryber, was worn and weary. But her aches and pains came from the baby at her hip, not an all night vigil in the village square.

"To be a woman is to help the helpless, love all people equally, and do the best you can." She echoed Ryber's words with just a few subtle changes. Stan nodded just as gravely as before, and looked out at the crowd.

"Well, what say you?" He asked the villagers. They cheered again for Freyja, who stood grinning shamelessly.

He turned back to the boy and girl at his feet.

"It is my pleasure and honor to bestow upon you, Ryber, and you, Freyja, the full ranks, duties, and responsibilities of adulthood in the village of Dyssa. May you always remember your vigil." He pulled out his ceremonial dagger and lightly tapped each of the four shoulders in front of him. "Go now, man and woman of the village. Celebrate."

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