What About Sons?

So I was listening to the radio today, and that John Mayer song "Daughters" came on. Now, when that song first came out in 2004 I thought, "Wow, cool song Johnny. Way to make a statement."

But, when I came upon it today, and really listened to the lyrics I sort of took offense. Not in the sense that I'm a girl, and a daughter, but rather that I'm the mother of a son. I mostly agree with what Johnny has to say about fathers treating their daughters well. I mean of course I agree. Fathers should definitely not walk out on their daughters, it will totally mess them up.

But, then he goes into his bridge which is as follows:
Boys, you can break
You'll find out how much they can take
Boys will be strong
And boys soldier on
But boys would be gone without the warmth from
A woman's good, good heart

 Now let's look at what these lyrics imply. Apparently fathers can push their sons to the breaking point and they will be fine, but deprive them of a woman's love and they just die. So, you can see my frustration being the mom of a son.

Let's talk about what really happens to a son when his father walks out on him, or perhaps even worse, is physically present but lacks any ability to actually be "present". I know a man who had a fantastically terrible father. He was an alcoholic, taking him and his older brother, at ages of approximately 3 and 6, to parties where he would proceed to get ass drunk, pass out, and leave his SONS to fend for themselves with his "buddies".

Now according to Mr. Mayer, those boys were broken, but they soldiered on and now they are fine because they have the "warmth from a woman's good, good heart." Their mother did everything she could, but you had better bet that those boys, sons, were totally messed up.

It is a miracle of God that those boys, sons, learned how to be wonderful men. Neither one of them is an alcoholic. Both are fantastic fathers to their sons, and husbands to their wives. But you had better believe they both have some pretty messed up baggage due to the unforgivable nature of their father.

But let's not forget. What Johnny says....
Boys, you can break
You'll find out how much they can take
Boys will be strong
And boys soldier on
But boys would be gone without the warmth from
A woman's good, good heart