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Caring for our children

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 Stuck Inside the Classroom with the Playground Blues Again
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By Bruce Mulkey
In Caring for our children, My personal path
Posted January 29, 2022

Stuck Inside the Classroom with the Playground Blues Again

As I’ve worked on my memoir, what’s become a massive act of self-interrogation, I’ve realized that my disconcerting experiences during the first grade that I've described above profoundly [...]

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 What We Did on Our Summer Vacation!
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By Bruce Mulkey
In Be happy now, Caring for our children, Embracing our connection, Healthy living, My personal path
Posted August 14, 2020

What We Did on Our Summer Vacation!

Realizing that Shonnie’s graduate studies at Western Carolina University were about to resume and Gracelyn would soon begin online classes at Evergreen Community Charter School, we began planning [...]

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By Bruce Mulkey
In Caring for our children, Embracing our connection, My personal path
Posted April 9, 2020

Every student deserves a Ms. Mitchell

Most of my teachers have faded into a nameless, faceless blur. However, there was one savior in the midst of my 12-year confinement. Ms. Mitchell came to Bel-Aire Elementary (Tullahoma, [...]

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 Podcast: Finding My Way Back Home
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By Bruce Mulkey
In Caring for our children, Embracing our connection, My personal path, Shifting cultural paradigm
Posted January 23, 2020

Podcast: Finding My Way Back Home

"Finding My Way Back Home" recounts my journey from toxic masculinity to a more mindful manhood, a voyage that includes participating in a transformational workshop, peeling back the encrusted [...]

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 Podcast: A Tale of Two Daughters
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By Bruce Mulkey
In Caring for our children, Embracing our connection, My daughters, My personal path
Posted November 16, 2019

Podcast: A Tale of Two Daughters

"A Tale of Two Daughters" is the story of how, and why, I slipped the surly bonds of toxic masculinity and transformed from emotionally-stunted misogynist to awakened advocate of equality, from [...]

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 Evergreen—A charter school committed to becoming racially inclusive
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By Bruce Mulkey
In Caring for our children, Embracing our connection, Shifting cultural paradigm
Posted October 4, 2019

Evergreen—A charter school committed to becoming racially inclusive

Evergreen Community Charter School is currently taking significant steps toward becoming a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive community.

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 Thank you, Howard Hanger, for keeping the main thing the main thing!
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By Bruce Mulkey
In Caring for our children, Embracing our connection, My personal path
Posted August 4, 2019

Thank you, Howard Hanger, for keeping the main thing the main thing!

Thank you for the huge role you've played in our lives, Howard. Thank you for keeping the main thing the main thing. Thank you for being you.

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 My essay is featured at the Washington Post!
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By Bruce Mulkey
In Caring for our children, My daughters, My personal path, Shifting cultural paradigm
Posted June 15, 2018

My essay is featured at the Washington Post!

Yes, I'm excited today because my personal essay "With over 40 years between the birth of my two daughters, I am two different fathers" is featured at the Washington Post On Parenting section.

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 Letting go of fear, ill will, and my trusty six-gun
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By Bruce Mulkey
In Caring for our children, My personal path, Shifting cultural paradigm
Posted February 16, 2018

Letting go of fear, ill will, and my trusty six-gun

Well, they didn’t pry it out of my cold, dead hands. But my only remaining firearm has just left the premises.

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 An Open Letter to My Daughter Gracelyn  in the Era of Donald Trump
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By Bruce Mulkey
In Caring for our children, Embracing our connection, My personal path, Shifting cultural paradigm
Posted June 12, 2017

An Open Letter to My Daughter Gracelyn in the Era of Donald Trump

Today I write this letter to you so that you might better understand the tumultuous transformation that’s currently underway in our nation.

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 The Family Dance
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By Bruce Mulkey
In Caring for our children, Embracing our connection, My daughters
Posted September 22, 2016

The Family Dance

It was Saturday, and that meant pizza and homemade ice cream night at the Lavender-Mulkey home. And, as frequently happens, it was time for a family dance.

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By Bruce Mulkey
In Caring for our children, Embracing our connection, My daughters, My personal path
Posted September 7, 2016

Breathing new life into my purpose

I wrote this on December 31, 2010 and am reposting it in honor my daughter Gracelyn’s 6th birthday today. * * * “What is your purpose in life?” the guardian of the gate at the men’s retreat [...]

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By Bruce Mulkey
In Caring for our children, Embracing our connection, Shifting cultural paradigm
Posted June 13, 2016

Adult behavior fosters youth violence–December 15, 1999

Here’s a commentary about violence in our nation that I wrote for the Asheville Citizen-Times late in 1999 that seems unfortunately appropriate for these times.            [...]

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By Bruce Mulkey
In Caring for our children, My personal path, Shifting cultural paradigm
Posted June 6, 2016

Spanking gets results . . . just not those you’re likely to desire.

My great-grandmother, Mae McCarthy (better known as Ma), who enjoyed dipping snuff and preferred another layer of body powder to regular bathing, had a Victorian attitude when it came to [...]

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By Bruce Mulkey
In Caring for our children, Embracing our connection, My personal path
Posted February 8, 2016

I found it, I lost it, I found it again.

While living by myself in a little cottage on Mount Bonnell outside Austin in the early nineties, I was without a significant other for the first extended period in my life. Fortunately (though I [...]

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By Bruce Mulkey
In Caring for our children, My daughters
Posted August 15, 2015

Teach Your Children Well

Loved this song in 1970 when my daughter Lilla was two, and I love it now as my daughter Gracelyn is about to turn five. “Teach Your Children Well” by Crosby, Still, Nash and Young [...]

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By Bruce Mulkey
In Caring for our children, Embracing our connection, My daughters, My personal path
Posted January 4, 2015

Breathing new life into my purpose

“What is your purpose in life?” the guardian of the gate at the men’s retreat demanded. “To work toward a more compassionate, just and sustainable world,” I immediately replied. “You may enter!” [...]

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By Bruce Mulkey
In Caring for our children, Embracing our connection, My daughters
Posted December 13, 2014

Being with Gracelyn–Guiding Principles

Our parenting choices have been made with discernment and purposefulness with the intention that Gracelyn remain authentic, powerful, creative, self-sufficient, grounded, happy, healthy and [...]

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 A poem for Gracelyn
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By Bruce Mulkey
In Caring for our children, Embracing our connection, My daughters
Posted October 15, 2014

A poem for Gracelyn

We didn’t tell her what to think, Or any rules to follow. We didn’t tell her what to feel, Or how to anger swallow. We couldn’t teach her to be real, And not to feign emotion. We wouldn’t tell [...]

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By Bruce Mulkey
In Caring for our children, Embracing our connection
Posted September 24, 2014

Mindful Parenting

This video brought tears to my eyes. It’s about Mindful Parenting as taught by Dr. Shefali Tsabary, a powerful philosophy through which parents learn to create deep transformations in their [...]

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By Bruce Mulkey
In Caring for our children, Just for laughs, My daughters
Posted April 7, 2014

Don’t know your ass from a hole in the ground

Everyone’s heard the old saying “You don’t know your ass from a hole in the ground.” Well, when we were kids, one of the ringleaders of our gang would say to one of our [...]

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By Bruce Mulkey
In Caring for our children, Just for laughs, My personal path, Reclaiming Democracy
Posted January 2, 2014

The books that have had the greatest influence on me

Here is a list of the 20 books that have had the greatest influence on me.

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By Bruce Mulkey
In Caring for our children, Embracing our connection, My daughters
Posted December 10, 2013

The Wit & Wisdom of Gracelyn

The Wit & Wisdom of Gracelyn by Bruce Mulkey & Shonnie Lavender | Make Your Own Book

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By Bruce Mulkey
In Caring for our children, Shifting cultural paradigm, Treading lightly on our planet
Posted November 17, 2013

Hieroglyphic Stairway, a poem by Drew Dellinger

it’s 3:23 in the morning and I’m awake because my great great grandchildren won’t let me sleep my great great grandchildren ask me in dreams what did you do while the planet was plundered? what [...]

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By Bruce Mulkey
In Be happy now, Caring for our children
Posted November 15, 2013

From the mouths of toddlers . . .

Each day at our evening meal, Shonnie, Gracelyn and I participate in a ritual that provides an opportunity for each of us to say at least one thing that happened that day for which we are [...]

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By Bruce Mulkey
In Be happy now, Caring for our children
Posted May 8, 2013

We’re all blessed!

Tonight while listening to music at the Lavender-Mulkey homestead. Gracelyn: Let’s dance! Me & Shonnie: OK! (The two of us adults slow dance facing each other with Gracelyn lying on her [...]

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By Bruce Mulkey
In Caring for our children
Posted May 2, 2013

Mr. Rogers defends PBS before U.S. Senate

The day Mr. Rogers saved public television. I wrote “Mr. Rogers offered kids genuine acceptance and a unique model of manhood” shortly after his death in 2003.

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By Bruce Mulkey
In Caring for our children, Healthy living
Posted April 25, 2013

Homemade popsicles . . . yum!

Gracelyn and I made and enjoyed yummy homemade popsicles today–lots of nutritious ingredients with no added sugar. Later I found myself thinking that she probably got more essential [...]

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By Bruce Mulkey
In Caring for our children, My daughters
Posted April 6, 2013

For my daughters, Lilla and Gracelyn

There could never be a father who loved his daughter more than I love you. H/T to Mike Miller for telling me about this song.

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By Bruce Mulkey
In Caring for our children, My daughters
Posted March 26, 2010

On becoming a dad again . . . at 67

“I didn’t think old people could have babies.” That’s what my 13-year-old granddaughter Molly said when her mom (my daughter) Lilla told her that Shonnie was pregnant. When Lilla explained that [...]

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 Mr. Rogers offered kids genuine acceptance and a unique model of manhood.
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By Bruce Mulkey
In Caring for our children, Embracing our connection
Posted March 8, 2003

Mr. Rogers offered kids genuine acceptance and a unique model of manhood.

In a world in which men are seen as superheroes, testosterone-poisoned oafs, new-age sissies or simply clowns, Fred was the embodiment of a different image: a man who used his immense talent and [...]

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© 2018. Bruce Mulkey.

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