Responsible Fathers are the Bravest, says Charles Bronson

"Don’t you ever say that again about your fathers, because they are not cowards. You think I am brave because I carry a gun? Well, your fathers are much braver because they carry responsibility—for you, your brothers, your sisters, and your mothers. And this responsibility is like a big rock that weighs a ton. It bends and it twists them until finally it buries them under the ground. And there’s nobody says they have to do this. They do it because they love you, and because they want to. I have never had this kind of courage. Running a farm, working like a mule every day with no guarantee anything will ever come of it. This is bravery."
—Charles Bronson as Bernardo O’Reilly in The Magnificent Seven

This is simply one of the best things I've ever heard about fathers. As a father I know that weight and feel sometimes it's not seen nor understood. Like most young fathers I had no true idea what I was getting into, but I took it on and am so glad I did. The best work I've ever done has been being a father. But providing is a weight that involves work, worry, stress, risk, and fear at times. And to keep going for those you love, to keep going past your own abilities to gain new ones, is not easy. And it can even be scary to keep trying. We often don't talk about this part of fatherhood as we just "man up" and do what needs doing. And that is good. But let me just say that when I heard these words while watching this movie I felt such a sense of being understood and seen for what I do. My wife and children value and appreciate me, of course, for which I am grateful. But somethings aren't fully understood unless it's experienced--be it childbirth or being a provider or you name it.

Note: I first posted this on Facebook in 2013... here are the original comments: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=672403699458474&set=a.201605529871629.47994.100000665505405&type=3&permPage=1