Cowboys Are Not Supposed to Cry

Book excerpt: When did we come to believe the best thing you can do with death is ride off from it? In Cowboys Are Not Supposed to Cry, Mark W. Schutter tells his story of living a life with grief that began in his midtwenties. The death of his young wife left him alone, and although life was tough, he vowed to show the world that he was tougher. Remarrying and having a daughter, to onlookers, from the outside, life seemed happy again, until in an anguished night of prayer, Mark heard the words that to be the husband and father he wanted to be, he must: reconcile the past embrace the present redeem the future Cowboys Are Not Supposed to Cry is a story that will challenge you with questions that often have no answers about death, life, love, and the way we think about grief. In this memoir of love, loss, grief, and healing, Mark shares his experiences, trying to be who he thought everyone expected him to be. This account, written from the unique perspective of a man, questions what society deems acceptable behavior for grieving men and their healing. This journey is one we all must face, full of deep love, painful loss, and the healing of the soul. Mark pulls back the curtain to show how death is only the beginning. You will carry your grief; the joys and sorrows occupy the same space because healing is never perfect, and that is okay because there is always hope. Grief is not something you just get over, and even the toughest cowboys may sometimes cry.