I Moustache You a Question:

Do the men in your life have people they can talk to when they’re hurting?

Men have long been praised for being strong, both mentally and physically.  Without questioning what the long term effects might be, generations of men have risked every aspect of their health to uphold these two pillars of manhood.

When we praise boys and young men for being courageous, stoic and strong, we unintentionally leave them with the impression that being anything else, is shameful.  This unspoken shaming is how we have come to raise generations of men who don’t feel safe expressing themselves when they have doubts or are hurting inside.  Without safe spaces to practice, many men never learn to communicate their emotions honestly and the problem continues through the generations.  Sadly, the miraculous minority of men who do feel safe and know how to communicate their emotions, don’t all have strong social circles that support this kind of honest communication.  This is the thorny mess that Adam Garone, Travis Garone, Luke Slattery and Justin Coghlan came together to untangle, when they founded the Movember movement.

Since 2003 the Movember Foundation has been working to help men live happier, healthier, longer lives by raising awareness of men’s mental, physical and emotional issues, particularly focusing on prostate cancer, testicular cancer and helping to prevent men’s suicide.

Movember is an annual event involving the growing of moustaches during the month of November in order to spark conversations and raise awareness of men’s health issues.

The Movember Movement urges men to:  Grow a Mo.

Grow a Mo to Raise Awareness,

Grow a Mo, to Start a Conversation,

… and if you feel so inclined, Grow a Mo to raise some money for the cause.

There are moments in every life, when we truly need to be strong but they are just moments and no one can be, or needs to be strong in every moment of every day.

We all need safe people to talk to and safe spaces where we can talk when we’re ready to take off our armour and put down our burdens for the day.

Men need support.

Grow a Mo.

Start a Conversation…

Raise Awareness.

If you’d like more information, or to start a friendly Mo-Competition and raise funds for the cause, please go to: Movember.com

Written by Catherine Mitchell, Certified Grief Recovery Specialist serving the Durham Region.