Last Line of Defense

As husbands, as fathers, as men, we must live our lives like we are the last line of defense. 

In other words, we can’t wait around for someone else to come and do our job for us. As protectors and providers, the responsibility falls on us. 

This is true for even the smallest of tasks like cleaning up a spill in the kitchen, or the biggest jobs like raising kids. 

If there’s a screaming baby in the middle of the night, and your wife is too exhausted to get up, no one else is coming. You are the last line. It’s only you. 

Sure, sometimes we’ll have help. Teachers, coaches, and mentors can be a great influence for our children, but we can’t rely on other people to raise our kids. It’s our duty to protect them and raise them right. It’s not the teacher’s job, or the priest’s, or the president’s — it’s ours. 

Some of you reading this aren’t married, aren’t dads, or your kids aren’t all grown. But, this attitude is too rare in our world. It doesn’t matter if you’re single, married, young, or old — the world needs men who are willing to defend and do what is right. 

As Samwise Gamgee put it: “There’s some good in this world, Mr. Frodo. And it’s worth fighting for.”