Dedrick Moone

I’m outspoken but I don’t pretend to know it all. Truth be told, I’ve probably forgotten just as much as remember over the years.

That said, someone recently asked men to share a cheat code to peace in marriage. I tried but I couldn’t help but give them 10 as provided below

1. Have a short memory, don’t keep score
2. Don’t let the sun set on your anger
3. She’s your balance, not your cynic
4. Pray and worship together
5. Laugh together often especially at each other
6. Be friends first, lovers second
7. Talk it out when you’re calm, not heated
8. Learn her love language and operate in it
9. Be each other’s safe space (emotional vault)
10. Never hit below the belt

Let me know what you think of my list.

Is there anything that you’d add?

𝐋𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐏𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝

I can’t get my daughter to watch sports with me beyond WWE but she and I are really tight. She’s told me I’m her favorite person, so she tells me just about everything in due time.

So with everything being said about pe******ia I asked, “How old were you when older men first started hitting on you?”She said… middle school. I retorted, “How? You were always with me.”

She said it happened at the mall, online, even in moments when I stepped away for a minute.

So I asked, “Why didn’t you tell me?”

She said, “Because I knew how to handle it. And I didn’t want you to go to jail.”

I’ll be honest in admitting that she’s right. I’d absolutely go to prison with a smile on my face over my daughter.

Any grown man blaming “fast girls” is telling on himself. Even if a young girl approaches him, the response should be, “Yuck I’m good.” Anything beyond that is disgustingly predatory.

Ladies how old were you when older men first started hitting on you?

April Fools Day will never be the same in my house because it’s the anniversary of when Vanessa Raynor Moone asked me to marry her.

Her: Dad, how are you going to write a whole blog post and not post the photos on IG?
Me: I thought you were going to do it lil bro
Her: How… with what?

Me: The photos I sent you!
Her: You only sent videos, dad.
Me: Oh my bad.

Anyway,here’s the long overdue photo dump from our amazing day at Sledge Institute where the ladies made me feel like I was a short king.

Do y’all believe that the ladies are incredibly tall or do y’all believe I’m Papa Smurf?

Here’s a photo dump from an amazing day back at my high school alma mater, Ben L. Smith.

While I hate that my daughter Haelee wasn’t able to make it, I truly enjoyed connecting with some incredible women in Dr. Redfearn and Dr. Walker.

I’m grateful to both of them for welcoming me into their sessions and teaching me something new along the way.

As Smith grads, we know… “Enter to Learn, Depart to Serve.”

And in the spirit of Women’s History Month, it meant even more to be surrounded by women leading, teaching, and making an impact.

Proof that even when plans change purpose still shows up. Last but not least, thank you so much Jonathan Byrd for all that you did to bring us together.

I may not look like it, but life has been kicking my butt lately. Between grad school and trying to be the best man I can be, I’m not even sure which way is up or down some days.

But I’ll have direction on tomorrow. I will be walking the halls of Ben L. Smith High School for the first time in 29 years, not as a student but as an alumni and proud dad.

My daughter Haelee will be holding court at Smith’s Leadership Conference alongside PhDs and leaders from across North Carolina.

Watching her step into rooms, lead conversations, and build connections fuels my spirit especially considering all that she’s been through.

Sometimes life will wear you down,but moments like this remind you exactly why you keep going.

Parents, what’s a moment your child gave you that made everything worth it?

My memory isn’t as sharp as it used to be, and I haven’t stepped foot in a classroom in 14 years so I was a little nervous about going back to school.

But I was reminded this morning that there’s still a little bit of gas in the tank as I passed my first class, Becoming an Effective Leader, on the path to earning my Master’s in Management and Leadership (Organizational Leadership).

One class down.
8 more to go.

So go ahead, talk to me nice.

My uncle told me it was time to stop sitting on the bench and get in the game…

The AARP game, that is now that I’m almost 50. Then he handed me this uniform as a gift and said, “Wear it with pride.”

So here I am, fully suited up entering my grumpy old man era.

What do y’all think?

Am I officially in the league now or do I still get a few more years on the practice squad?

Is it okay for me to cry just a little knowing that my daughter, Haelee is breaking barriers and defining her own path during Women’s History Month?

Bears Building Bold Leadership at the Good Trouble Summit Bears Building Bold Leadership at the Good Trouble Summit Shaw University students attended the NC Good Trouble Summit on Sunday, Feb. 8, hosted by the John Lewis Young Leaders Program at the FedEx Global Education Center at UNC Chapel Hill.

I’m grateful for every friend, family member, and even the acquaintances who poured into me, checked on me, and showed love. It doesn’t go unnoticed.

Someone told me, “You have it all.”

And you know what? They were right.

Not because life is perfect but because I’m surrounded by love, purpose, and people who genuinely care.

Year 48 is off to a strong start. Let’s see what this trip around the sun brings.