Just like that, September is drawing to a close. It’s been an eventful month for many of us. Kids went back to school and we welcomed a new baby into our lives. And as different as things have been, some things still stay the same… like the monthly speedlink! This month, I’d like to highlight a few of my fellow dad bloggers again.

First of all, I’d like to extend my thanks to Art Eddy of the Art of Fatherhood. He recently showcased some great Canadian dads… and I made the list! From coast to coast, these Canadian dads share their stories of fatherhood. There’s me, here in the Metro Vancouver area, doing my thing with food, fatherhood, tech and more. And then we fly all the way across to Nova Scotia with Sean Francois. And who can forget Canadian dad blogger of the year Casey Palmer? And the legendary Brittlestar! Yup, these dads are doing it right. I’m in good company.

From across the country to across the ocean, we’ve got John Adams of Dad Blog UK. He asks a rather poignant question when it comes to modern parenting. Why don’t dads engage with school groups as much as moms (or “mums”) do? Part of this has to do with societal norms and traditional gender roles. And as engaged fathers, we need to “be the change” we want to see in this world. I’ve been the only dad at story time and one of only two dads at school pickup, and this needs to change.

Okay, let’s address the ongoing elephant in the room. Ricky Rex reflects on how the stay-at-home orders have affected not only the economy, but also families. It’s clear enough that there have been winners and losers in the economy. Online shopping and food delivery services are thriving, but hospitality and travel are really struggling. Families are more stressed than ever, both in figuring out how to put food on the table, but also dealing with the changing face of education.

Yes, this pandemic has been hard. At the same time, as Bill Peebles points out in a guest post on City Dads Group, we can still find light amid all this darkness. Back in May, I listed a few things I wanted to keep from this time even when the pandemic is over. From Bill’s perspective, as bleak as things may seem, there’s still hope. Children are working hard on their futures and maintaining relationships, just as teachers are doing the best they can to provide an education under unprecedented circumstances. We can get through this together.

And finally, echoing a similar sentiment, we have Frank Priegue of I’m Not Grandpa. We can look at 2020 and say the glass is half-empty (or filled with all sorts of putrid sludge that’s on fire). Or, we can choose to see the glass as half-full. With the pandemic, many parents are spending more time with our children. And we’re taking the time to explore our own backyards, starting to appreciate what was there all along. It’s the gift of time. We just have to choose to make the best of it.