A Michigan dad has penned a powerful letter to his sons about what it means to be a man.
Taking to Facebook, Derek Steele, father to Caleb, 7, and Ethan, 4, writes that while his sons are too young to be bothered or interested in political discourse and to have their own Facebook accounts, he wanted to share his thoughts for them to read in the future.
"I imagine there will be a time in the not too distant future when you are on Facebook and we'll be friends," he says. "I also imagine that at some point after that whether out of boredom or interest you'll look back through your old man's posts for some funny stories and maybe some tidbits of wisdom - so I'll leave this right here for you."
Steele's letter begins with a quote from former New York City Mayor, Rudy Giuliani, who – when referring to Donald Trump's remarks about sexually assaulting women – told CNN "Men at times talk like that."
Refusing to accept that careless comment as fact, Steele writes, "Men do not, at times, talk like that."
Conceding that some individuals with an X and Y chromosome may speak that way, he writes, "We do not call them Men. We call them perverts, abusers, or rapists - not Men. Real Men don't do that and wouldn't even think to say that."
Steele tells his boys that while they will receive many different messages about what it takes to " be a Man", the vast majority of them, he says, "will be total garbage."
The father-of-three explains that his sons should forget about machoism or sexual conquest. Being a man, he writes, is about protecting those who are weak or innocent – a child who is being bullied, "or your own children".
"It's being awake at all hours of the night to warm a bottle, change a diaper, change the sheets on a wet bed or even worse," Steele continues. "Men get puked on, pooped on, bled on and cried on."
Being a man, the dad notes, is also about being open, vulnerable and accountable.
"It's admitting your mistakes and failures - in all its ugliness - and seeking forgiveness, over and over and over again."
Real men, Steele tells his boys, play dress ups and have tea parties and will make a "complete fool out of themselves" to see a child laugh. They cry and they weep.
And they honour and cherish women.
Being a man is tough, Steele writes, explaining that it's the hardest work his boys will ever do.
"When someone tries to justify abhorrent words and behaviour by sullying your good reputation as a man – be angry and speak up," he says. "Don't let them define you down by their conduct.
"In short – be a Man."
Steele's powerful letter has been shared over 2,000 times as of Wednesday and has attracted hundreds of comments.
"I was so disheartened because so much of the outrage on my Facebook feed was coming from women, and then I read your post," wrote one commenter. "What a perfect, thoughtful response to such vile and reprehensible behavior. Your kids are lucky to have such a great role model."
"For my dad and brothers and husband and son and all the good men I know who would never speak in such a way – thank you," wrote another.
Read the post in full below: