I'm trying, y'all. I really am. But the state of our world, compounded by daily bombardment of hate, spite, and gross incompetence coming from what now passes for government "leaders," has made keeping a positive outlook for our families, communities, and environment almost impossible. As parents working towards a better future for our kids, however, we must. And to do that, we must first fortify ourselves for the fight.

In a normal year, I’d probably have taken down all the Christmas lights by now. But I’ve left our outside decorations up a little longer this time...Maybe my holiday lights hold-out is a small act of resistance. To repel the chaos, political division, and uncertainty we’ve endured now for more than half my daughters’ lifetimes. To hang on to joy a little bit longer.

Daddying blog editor Scott Beller admits he'd rather talk about his kids and Daddying Film Festival & Forum (D3F) stories at holiday parties. But you're welcome to read his daddying origin story anytime.

Facing the post-election world through misty eyes this morning was disheartening for so many reasons. The prospects of what may and what will definitely happen to wives and daughters, immigrants (documented and undocumented), people of color, members of the LGBTQ+ community, and many other families across this country (and around the globe) kept me awake past 4 a.m. Too heavy for this dad of two teenage girls to fully process yet. What I do know is that I must quickly muster the strength to contend with that developing reality. First, I must do it for my kids. Then I must continue to stand up for the millions of people who do not have the "luxury" and privilege to simply worry about what's coming next...

Since my oldest daughter was born, my main concerns have been her health and whether I'd be up to the task of being the supportive dad she needed and deserved. Today, on the eve of her 17th birthday, my concerns remain the same. Only now, like any parent whose kid is neck-deep in the college application process, I've been paying more attention to her emotional and mental well-being. She's worked through the summer preparing for tests and drafting application essays. And while she's grappled at times with her self-confidence, I didn't want her ever to doubt how much her parents believe in her, trust her, and are proud of her hard work. Specifically, I want her to know she is more than her SAT score and weighted GPA.

As the two of us waited for our order of soft tacos and "tot-chos" to arrive at our table, we engaged in the usual dad-daughter lunch conversation. What do you have planned for your last week before school starts? What are you looking forward to this school year? How weird is it we're the ONLY two people having lunch in this taqueria at noon on a Taco Tuesday? But when I asked Lauren, my rising sophomore, what she wanted to do for her 15th birthday...

When we dropped off our not-quite-two-year-old on her first day of preschool, her teachers recommended that we not linger. Simply hand her over, turn around, and go. They said it was the best way to break the attachment and ensure the rest of day would go smoothly... ...This weekend, with our now rising high-school senior, we embark on a 12-day road trip covering 1,671 miles through the Northeast to visit prospective college destinations. As we prepare for this next step, my anxious parental mind immediately jumps ahead with the thought: this is a small, first step on our way towards an empty nest. Don't look back?

Today, we usually celebrate this country's successful fight for independence from a mad king. Yet, here we are 250 years of supposed progress later, facing almost daily threats to our freedoms, democracy, equal rights, and the rule of law. Notably, those threats are mostly coming from INSIDE THE HOUSE (and Senate, and state and federal courts...)! It would be an understatement (though oddly poetic) to say these coordinated attacks have been...more "taxing" than those of the 1770s. The good news is that there is one surefire cure strong enough to inoculate an entire democratic nation yearning to breathe free. That cure is informed voting. Vigilance is key and every election serves as your booster shot. I say, "informed voting" because the road to casting a ballot requires regular infusions of information (and knowing how to distinguish it from mis/disinformation). I would argue the developmental process all begins the first time you sit your child on your lap for a story.

If you have ever rowed or watched boats row on the Schuylkill River, you know about The Island. Lane 6, which meets and hugs The Island about two-thirds of the way through the course, is where championship dreams go to die.

I thought I felt elation when the Red Sox brought the first World Series Championship home to Boston after 86 years back in 2004. Watching my daughter help lead her team through the mist into open water and over the finish line well ahead of some stiff competition, including the boat that beat them in a final just last week, was truly breathtaking.

We're posting just under the wire to provide you good folks with a quick-hitting, mostly visual recap of Allan's and my recent trip up to Philadelphia, the site of this year's 2nd annual Daddying Film Forum, which has grown from one live event into two thanks mainly to the fact we have received so many amazing feature film Official Selections that one day just wouldn't do.

In explaining what inspired him to embark on such a potentially massive undertaking as the Daddying Film Festival & Forum (D3F) while on his recent promotional tour of the dad podcasting landscape, Allan has often quoted the American naturalist and essayist John Burroughs, saying: "Leap, and the net will appear." He's one courageous and persistent dude from the Bronx. Bradbury took Burroughs' notion a leap and bound further with his observation. And that's exactly what the past nine months of planning for D3F 2024 has felt like for us. In a field of more than 3000 film festivals worldwide, we consider D3F to be the little festival that could.

Next month, my wife and I celebrate our 18th wedding anniversary. The past 16 years have been focused mostly (and appropriately, I'd say) on the two daughters we've raised together. With our girls getting more independent by the day, it's no secret that I've been thinking more about the future and the shift of dynamics our family will soon take. On occasions like Valentine's Day, specifically, my thoughts turn to finding ways for my wife and I to get back in touch with the couple we used to be.

Early on, I wanted to be a sports writer. A columnist like the great Thomas Boswell at the Washington Post, who wrote, among other things, How Life Imitates the World Series. But of course, like the World Series, life takes many twists and often doesn't turn out like you planned. Especially, when the plan is rather vague and without the benefit of insight or guidance from others. Like your parents.

My mom made the best holiday chocolate chip cookie bars. Every year since I was in high school, maybe earlier, she'd make a giant batch and gift them to family, friends, coworkers, anyone who looked like they needed something sweet in their life. My stepbrother and I would compete to get the biggest tin of those amazing bars and hope we'd have enough to enjoy them until the New Year rolled around. If one of us ever felt short-changed, Mom would just make more.

I have a few 2023 gift requests to make of the daughters for whom I've helped create a winter wonderland these past 16 holiday seasons. I trust they'll find everything on my list reasonable enough to consider. I promise it won't cost them a thing...

My wife and I had instilled in our own curious little monkeys a love of wandering through libraries and bookstores and an appreciation for the magical potential such places hold. Books give you the ability to travel without actually traveling. To experience something you never knew existed. To understand how others feel and think without ever meeting them. To discover a story and realize it is your own. And, maybe, most importantly, the ability to feel understood and see yourself as not alone in a world that often feels isolating, harsh, terrifying, and hopeless. Books teach. But to many young readers, they are also a refuge. Often, their lifeline.

The Daddying Film Festival & Forum (D3F) grew in several significant areas in 2023, and our planning committee is excited about many exciting changes coming for our 3rd-annual event in 2024.

Getting my license gave me more than just a sense of tremendous freedom, accomplishment, and responsibility. It made me feel like an adult for the first time. But, honestly, until I became a dad (at 38!), I didn't know what being an adult really meant. This week was our oldest daughter's 16th birthday. For the past few months, she's been eager to take the driver's seat and practice her skills. And I've eagerly taken up my place in the passenger seat to not only suggest new driving routes and give her pointers on technique and safety, as needed, but also to watch her prepare to fly. All part of my ongoing letting-go process.

Taking first-day-of-school photos, with my youngest entering her high-school freshman year and oldest now a junior, felt like the start of a countdown clock, ticking away the time until we're no longer together. It also reminded me how much I wish I could rewind it.