Real Men Don't Cry

When I was in my senior year of high school, a close friend of mine's brother died and I was the one he went to when he was feeling down. It's not surprising, as I would always come off as the big brother type to my friends. It carried over from my home life. But I didn't know how to react when he would want me to comfort him. He wasn't my brother, so it was just awkward when he would start crying around me and want me to pat him on the back to make him feel better. I still helped him, though, as best as I could.